ISGlobal and the National Museum of Natural Sciences to Organise Malaria Exhibition in Madrid

From February 2024, the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC) in Madrid (Spain) will host Mission Malaria, a journey through the history of the fight against this disease, through the private collection of Quique Bassat, ICREA researcher and director of the ISGlobal Malaria Programme. The aim of the exhibition is to raise awareness of a disease that has had - and continues to have - an enormous impact on humanity. Every year, malaria kills more than 600,000 people, mostly children and pregnant women.

 "Malaria is largely unknown to the general population in our country, even though it was endemic in Spain only 60 years ago," says Bassat. "My hope is that this exhibition will make its history a little better known and raise awareness that it is still one of the world’s leading causes of preventable death.

Borja Milá, Deputy Director of Exhibitions at the MNCN-CSIC, explains that "malaria research is carried out at the highest level in Spain, so it is time for the public to learn about the work of our researchers and recognise their contribution to global health".

A historical and geographical tour

The exhibition features objects from different periods and geographic areas from Bassat's personal collection - one of the largest private collections in the world - as well as pieces specially prepared by the museum for the occasion.

The MNCN-CSIC and ISGlobal are responsible for the scientific direction and design of the exhibition content, as well as the educational activities that will accompany it. The exhibition also has the support of the biopharmaceutical company GSK and the participation of iPg ACCESS, a health consultancy firm.

A critical moment in the fight against malaria

Malaria is the world's leading parasitic disease and one of the main causes of child mortality. At the beginning of the 21st century, the fight against malaria made tremendous progress, with 2 billion cases and 11.7 million deaths averted thanks to a significant increase in funding and the development of better tools to prevent, diagnose and treat the disease.

Since 2015, however, progress has stalled and the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has presented a new challenge. "Although the worst predictions have been averted and the efforts have been positive, the cumulative impact of over two years of pandemic is significant," warns Bassat. According to the latest WHO figures, more than 619,000 deaths and 247 million cases of malaria were reported in 2021.