As a global financial institution with a presence in regions most affected by climate change and health disparities, we recognise our responsibility to drive solutions that go beyond traditional finance. EBC's partnership with the United Nations Foundation’s United to Beat Malaria campaign is a cornerstone of this commitment, demonstrating how purposeful finance can be a catalyst for both ecological and health resilience.

The Overlooked Link: Environment and Disease

Environmental shifts are redrawing the map of disease. Deforestation, rising temperatures, and plastic pollution are accelerating the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses like malaria into new territories—including higher altitudes and previously unaffected regions in Africa, Latin America, and even southern Europe. In Colombia and the Amazon basin, deforestation has dramatically increased malaria exposure for rural and Indigenous communities. In Bangladesh, flooding and stagnant water, worsened by plastic pollution, are fuelling outbreaks in vulnerable areas. These changes are not only public health crises but also economic ones: in sub-Saharan Africa, malaria causes an estimated $12 billion in lost productivity annually and up to half a billion lost workdays, disproportionately impacting children, working-age adults, and low-income communities.

Finance as a Force for Regeneration

We see finance as a powerful lever for regeneration. Through our ongoing partnership with United to Beat Malaria, now in its second year, we are investing in scalable, frontline interventions that protect both people and ecosystems. In 2025, we became 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. This initiative is more than a campaign—it is embedded in our leadership strategy and employee culture.

Our support goes directly to providing insecticide-treated bed nets, rapid diagnostic kits, and antimalarial treatments in regions with the highest burden. 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.

Collective Action for a Sustainable Future

At the 2025 United to Beat Malaria Annual Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., our leadership joined more than 120 advocates and policymakers to call for sustained global investment in health equity. We participated in direct policy discussions on Capitol Hill, urging support for critical programmes such as the President’s Malaria Initiative, The Global Fund, and UN-led interventions.

As World Environment Day 2025 highlights the crisis of plastic pollution, we emphasise the urgent need for cross-sector collaboration. Ecological stewardship, health protection, and economic stability must be pursued together. Our approach to climate-smart finance is rooted in the belief that sustainable growth is inseparable from global well-being.

Our Vision and Call to Action

The fight against malaria and environmental degradation is far from over, but progress is possible through purposeful investment and global solidarity. We invite our peers in the financial sector, policymakers, and community leaders to join us in advancing climate-smart finance and health equity.

Together, we can build a future where no child dies from a mosquito bite, where communities thrive in healthy environments, and where finance is a driving force for regeneration and resilience.

To learn more about our partnership and how you can get involved, visit www.ebc.com/malaria.

Disclaimer:

This material is for general information purposes only and is not intended as (and should not be considered to be) financial, investment or other advice on which reliance should be placed. No opinion given in the material constitutes a recommendation by EBC or the author that any particular investment, security, transaction or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person.