ExxonMobil an oil corporation in partnership with two non-governmental organizations, on Friday donated 50 cargo bicycles to Rukara health workers in the Eastern Province as a strategy to prevent and eliminate Malaria deaths.

Project Rwanda and Malaria No More (MNM) are the two organizations that have teamed up to launch this initiative.

According to Rebecca Krueger, the Director of Public Relations and Special Projects in Project Rwanda, the funding from the giant oil corporation was given to MNM however, the bicycles were distributed by Project Rwanda.

"With a shared goal of preventing and eliminating malaria, the health workers received these bikes so that they can deliver mosquito nets and malaria treatment to people in the rural areas.”  

"This is our first partnership and we are really excited about it. We hope that improved transportation will broaden community outreach and accelerate the speed at which we aim to attain the millennium development goals,” Krueger said.

According to a statement from the organizations, the giant corporation which is parent to Esso, Mobil and ExxonMobil companies around the world is spending $10,000 to distribute bicycles as a way of strengthening the ability to stop the spread of malaria.

During the launch of the bicycle project, ExxonMobil’s Medical Director for Global Health Issues, Dr. Steven Phillips commended Rukara Health Facility for its significant efforts in fighting malaria adding that the merchandise will increase effectiveness of malaria treatment programs.

The Chief executive Officer of MNM, Scott Case also noted that "Project Rwanda is a critical partner in our efforts to cross the ‘last mile’ of the race to end malaria deaths by 2015,” adding that "Finding effective ways to deliver prevention and treatment tools to families in remote areas not only saves lives, but also reduces the overall burden on their communities.”

ExxonMobil is the largest non-pharmaceutical corporate donor to malaria research and development efforts, and since 2000 has committed $130 million to Africa community outreach programs, including $54 million on programs to fight malaria.

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