ExxonMobil Foundation Announces $1 Million Grant to Support Angola's National Malaria Control Program

ExxonMobil Foundation announced today a grant of $1 million to USAID to support the efforts of the Ministry of Health in Angola to strengthen and extend malaria prevention and control in that country. The grant was presented at a ceremony in Luanda, Angola, January 30. James R. Riley, ExxonMobil’s Manager of Government Relations and Public Affairs Business Support, made the announcement on behalf of the ExxonMobil Foundation. Angolan Vice Minister of Health Dr. Jose Van-Dunem, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Carol Thompson and US Ambassador Cynthia G. Efird also made remarks. Since 2000, as part of its Africa Health Initiative, the ExxonMobil Foundation has donated some $30 million to combat malaria and other infectious diseases in Africa. In the same time period, the company has donated more than $100 million to organizations working in Africa that are engaged in important community and social development projects. This contribution to global health initiatives follows the Foundation's 2007 commitment of $5 million to organizations dedicated to improving education and opportunities for women and girls in developing countries, announced at the Vital Voices Summit in Cape Town in mid-January. Affirming the importance of Africa for the future of the energy sector, Rex Tillerson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Exxon Mobil Corporation commented that, "ExxonMobil has been in Africa for over 100 years – we are one of the largest investors in the continent. As such, we have felt first hand the human toll of malaria that is in our communities. It is unsustainable and unacceptable that one million Africans die every year of malaria. Combating this killer is good for African children, good for global public health and good for our business.” Since the Angolan Ministry of Health’s announcement of a National Strategic Plan for the Control of Malaria in March 2005, a number of high-level public and private sector partners have joined the World Health Organization’s Roll Back Malaria Partnership, the Global Fund and the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative to build local capacity, align resources and expertise to reduce illness and death caused by malaria, both in Angola and in the hardest hit Sub-Saharan African region. As a private sector representative to the board of Roll Back, ExxonMobil is guided in its work in this area by national malaria plans when making grants or lending technical support. The President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) has as its goal to reduce malaria's mortality rate by 50 percent in 15 target countries over the next five years, freeing the citizens from the grip of this debilitating disease. Angola, Tanzania and Uganda were the first three nations to receive funding under PMI. ExxonMobil is the largest private sector donor to the President’s Malaria Initiative. Note to Editor ExxonMobil has a long presence on the African continent and its operations have made the company one of the largest private foreign investors in Africa. The continent accounts for more than 25 percent of ExxonMobil’s net liquids production and is the largest growth area in the company’s production portfolio. ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM). The Foundation engages in a broad range of philanthropic activities focusing on the communities where Exxon Mobil Corporation has significant operations. During 2005, ExxonMobil, its affiliates and ExxonMobil Foundation provided $133 million in charitable contributions and community investment worldwide.