Summary:
As climate change and pollution fuel disease spread, EBC boosts support for global health efforts rooted in environmental awareness and equity.
On World Environment Day 2025, as the global community rallies around the theme "Ending Plastic Pollution," we at EBC Financial Group (EBC) are drawing attention to a lesser-discussed consequence of environmental neglect: the alarming rise of mosquito-borne diseases like malaria.
Through our partnership with the United Nations Foundation's United to Beat Malaria campaign, now in its second year, we are urging public and private stakeholders to confront the interconnected crises of climate instability, pollution, health, and economic inequality—and to embrace climate-smart finance as a key solution in preventing disease and building community resilience.
"We often view malaria as a medical issue—but it's also an ecological one," said David Barrett, CEO of EBC Financial Group (UK) Ltd. "Plastic waste, deforestation, and warming temperatures all create the perfect storm for mosquitoes to thrive. Through our partnership with United to Beat Malaria, we're investing in scalable, frontline interventions that protect both people and ecosystems."
Climate Change Is Redrawing the Malaria Map
Environmental shifts are accelerating the spread of malaria across regions once considered low risk. Deforestation and rising temperatures are pushing mosquito populations into higher altitudes and new territories, while plastic pollution creates stagnant water reservoirs that act as breeding grounds.
In Colombia and the Amazon basin, deforestation has dramatically increased exposure to malaria in rural populations and Indigenous communities. In Bangladesh, flooding and water stagnation exacerbated by plastic pollution are fuelling outbreaks in already fragile areas. Even southern Europe has reported isolated cases, with climate shifts increasing mosquito survival rates in areas which are hitherto mosquito-free.
These changes carry significant economic implications: in sub-Saharan Africa, for example, malaria contributes to a loss of approximately 1.3% of GDP annually, with ripple effects across healthcare systems, productivity, and education. The disease is responsible for up to half a billion lost workdays in Africa each year, and causes an estimated $12 billion in lost productivity annually—a toll borne disproportionately by children, working-age adults, and low-income communities.
Climate-Smart Finance and Collective Action
In 2025, we renewed our commitment to United to Beat Malaria by becoming an official corporate sponsor of the Move Against Malaria 5K, mobilising over 200 employees across our offices in the UK, Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The challenge, which ran from April 25 to May 10, 2025, not only raised awareness but deepened engagement at all levels of the company, reflecting our belief that advocacy must be embedded into leadership and organisational culture.
"Finance can be a force for regeneration," Barrett commented. "That's why we're supporting community-led health interventions, amplifying awareness, and backing solutions that address the root causes—not just the symptoms—of inequality."
At the 2025 United to Beat Malaria Annual Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., Barrett and Samuel Hertz, the EBC Director of Operations, joined more than 120 advocates and policymakers in calling for sustained global investment. They participated in direct policy discussions on Capitol Hill, urging support for critical programs like the President's Malaria Initiative, The Global Fund, and UN-led interventions.
Purposeful Finance for Health Equity
Our partnership is not just symbolic—it funds insecticide-treated bed nets, rapid diagnostic kits, and antimalarial treatments across the regions most affected. In 2024 alone, United to Beat Malaria helped protect 1.67 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa and across 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, where healthcare access remains limited and climate vulnerabilities are high.
As World Environment Day highlights the environmental crisis of plastic pollution, we highlight the urgent need for cross-sector collaboration—where ecological stewardship, health protection, and economic stability are pursued hand-in-hand.
To learn more about our partnership with United to Beat Malaria, visit www.ebc.com/malaria.
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