— 3.3 billion people in 97 countries worldwide at risk of malaria infection1
— 584,000 deaths from malaria were estimated in 20131
— ~90% of deaths caused by malaria occur in Africa, and children under 5 years account for 78% of all deaths1
— Malaria can be prevented and treated

BASEL, Switzerland, Dec. 8, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As part of a continued commitment in the fight against malaria, Novartis Pharmaceuticals launches a new educational website, providing educational resources to healthcare professionals in sub-Saharan Africa.

The site provides access for registered healthcare professionals to educational resources and a series of live webcast events, covering a range of topics. The first webcast in the series will focus on WHO recommendations and the challenges faced treating malaria in the pediatric population in Africa.

The website is now live and healthcare professionals have access to the following resources:

— WHO prequalification program interactive presentation
— Malaria lifecycle video
— Interactive timeline ‘The fight against Malaria over 6 decades’
— ‘Optimizing Pediatric Malaria Therapy in Africa’ a CME approved training program

In addition to these on-demand resources, a series of live webcasts will be hosted by key experts. These webcasts will provide healthcare professionals access to interactive seminars where the latest information and challenges faced in the fight against malaria will be discussed.

The first in the series of webcasts will be held on the 9th December 2015, from 5.00 to 6.30pm CET. This will be hosted by Dr Quique Bassat, who will provide the latest information concerning antimalarials for the pediatric population, with reference to the WHO treatment guidelines and drug quality. The second presentation, by Ms. Benedetta Schiavetti, will exemplify challenges faced in the field, providing a case study from the Democratic Republic of Congo. After the presentations, there shall be an opportunity for healthcare professionals to interact with the experts via a live web-based Q&A session.

Following the live broadcast, the video will be available for download at viewers’ convenience.

To access the website and find more information on the webcast, please register at http://edge.media-server.com/m/s/i5g8pi64/lan/en

For press-related enquiries, please contact:

  Vanessa Racloz, PhD                 Simona Sappia                            
  Assoc. Director Public Affairs      Head of Malaria Initiative Communications
  Malaria Initiative                  Malaria Initiative                       
  Novartis Pharma AG                  Novartis Pharma AG                       
  Basel, Switzerland                  Basel, Switzerland                       
                                                                               
  Phone:  +41 61 3240262              Phone:  +41 61 3247184                   
  Email: vanessa.racloz@novartis.com  Email: simona.sappia@novartis.com        
  www.malaria.novartis.com            www.malaria.novartis.com                 

1. WHO. World Malaria Report 2014.
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/144852/2/9789241564830_eng.pdf?ua=1 [Accessed 19/11/2015]