Sanofi outlines malaria commitment at international conference

Sanofi has reaffirmed its commitment to combating the threat of malaria at the tenth annual Pan African Conference against Malaria.

The event, which is organised by Sanofi, sees directors of 34 African national malaria control programmes meeting with representatives from bodies such as the World Health Organization and the Roll Back Malaria partnership to discuss the public health issue.

During this year's conference, Sanofi highlighted the progress achieved by its Impact Malaria scheme, a decade-long initiative involving the provision of affordable medication to needy populations.

Since 2008, the firm has distributed more than 100 million treatments of the drug ASAQ Winthrop to endemic countries, while it has also conducted research into the challenges posed by treatment-resistant malaria strains.

Christopher Viehbacher, chief executive officer of Sanofi, said: "Thanks to major partnerships combining public and private actors, as well as non-profit organisations, the elimination of malaria, which yesterday seemed utopian, has now become an achievable goal."

Last month, Sanofi and subsidiary Genzyme announced a new alliance with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, which will aim to develop new treatments for the disease.