Published: November 18, 2019

Monash University’s World Mosquito Program (WMP) has been awarded AUD$10m over five years, as one of five winners of the Macquarie 50th Anniversary Award.

The award will enable rapid global scale-up of the WMP’s long-lasting method to prevent these deadly diseases such as dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever.

“Backed by 15 years of research, The World Mosquito Program represents a transformational opportunity to protect millions of lives from multiple devastating diseases. Strengthening local communities is at the heart of the Macquarie Group Foundation’s work and we’re delighted to support Monash University’s goal to create generational, long-lasting impact”, Mary Reemst, Chair of the Macquarie Group Foundation said.

WMP Director at Monash University’s Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Professor Scott O’Neill, said they were thrilled to be selected as a winner. “With the AUD$10 million Award funding, we will be able to maximise the impact of our intervention, to help protect millions around the world.”

The Award funding will contribute to simultaneously laying the foundation for governments to continue to scale the intervention to protect their own people from these diseases.
“We have shown that our health intervention can be practically deployed, can drastically reduce human disease, and is in demand by communities and governments. Now we have greater capacity to meet that demand,” Professor O’Neill said.
The World Mosquito Program is working to protect people across 16 countries by 2023 with the highest disease burdens of dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever.

Billions of people are at risk of illness or death from these diseases annually.
Awarded over five years, the Macquarie Group Foundation joins our existing primary supporters, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust.