Dear Partners,

We are pleased to formally announce that Dr. Michael Adekunle Charles has been appointed permanent CEO of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, and that our largely representative new Board is in place.

Dr. Charles joins the RBM Partnership with extensive leadership experience in public health medicine and international development, currently serving as the Head of Delegation for Southern Africa for the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Since beginning his work with IFRC leading the organisation’s malaria coordination in Africa, Dr. Charles has remained a strong advocate and champion in the fight against malaria.

He was preceded by Dr. Corine Karema, who has led the Partnership as Interim CEO since April of 2022 and will continue until Dr. Charles formally takes office on 1 July. We thank Dr. Karema for her steadfast leadership of the RBM Partnership during a critical period of change in our global health community, and her lifelong commitment to achieving a malaria-free world.

During a special Board meeting on 16 May, 22 representatives were welcomed to the seats on the new highly representational Board, over half of which are from malaria-affected countries. Joy Phumaphi, Executive Secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), was elected to lead the Board as Chair, and Marijke Wijnroks, Head of the Strategic Investment and Impact Division for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, will remain as Vice-Chair.

These changes are symbolic of a broader governance shift for the Partnership, fueled by input from our partners and stakeholders, and the need to evolve with the changing circumstances of our global health landscape. We are grateful to the outgoing Board members, led by former Board Chair, Professor Maha Taysir Barakat, for their valuable contributions, service to the Partnership and their continued dedication to the fight against malaria.

We are confident this new phase of leadership will enhance the RBM Partnership’s ability to effectively deliver on its Strategic Plan, tackle emerging and unforeseen threats, and drive progress against malaria with renewed force.

We will be holding a partner briefing to formally introduce the permanent CEO and new Board on 6 June. Two sessions will be offered to allow for participation across many time zones, and we look forward to sharing further details shortly.

Thank you for your engagement, patience and continued partnership during the final stages of our governance transition process. We are eager to introduce you all to the RBM Partnership’s new leadership and look forward to your participation in the partner briefings next month.

Kind regards,
The RBM Partnership to End Malaria