The following story appeared in a recent issue of the Phoenix 100 Club Rotararizonian. Phoenix Rotary 100 member, Jim Mulry, Head of Diagnostics at the Merck Global Health Institute (MGHI), created Rotarians Against Malaria-Global to purchase and distribute clinical microscopes to diagnose malaria and the root causes of other fevers. A grant from the Phoenix 100 Club’s International Outreach Committee and the Rotary Foundation - through a District Grant - supported Jim’s project. The project raised a total of $40,000 through grants from other Rotary clubs, along with individual and corporate donations to buy microscopes. MGHI provided training to lab technicians to detect the specific type of malaria, along with other fevers, so that the correct treatment could be identified and administered, greatly improving the odds of survival.
Upon returning to Ghana in 2023 to visit students who were trained in microscopy and evaluate the impact of the project, Jim learned that the need for testing in some areas far exceeded capacity; each technician could only diagnose three samples an hour, leaving hundreds untested and a growing backlog that delayed treatment for many patients or worse. Something had to be done.
Jim jumped into action, reaching out to several sources for grants. The Merck Family Foundation came through quickly with $250,000 Euros, which will pay for automated hematology systems. These systems can rapidly test and diagnose 100 samples each day for malaria and other fevers. Jim’s microscope project, which he brought to Phoenix Rotary 100, helped pave the way for the larger donation to buy equipment that more than quadrupled the impact of the fight against malaria, saving thousands of lives. Incredible, but a contribution from the Phoenix 100 Club of $1,000 -- plus a District Grant of $2,000 -- on a $40,000 project (of which Rotarians contributed $12,000 and Merck $28,000) to reduce malaria led to an additional gift of 250k euros ($266,000). Thus that $40k project obtained leverage of over 7 times! Good things happen when good people work together. |
