EBC Financial Group's leadership and global workforce have turned their attention to the fight to end malaria. In 2025, EBC Financial Group deepened its partnership with the United Nations Foundation’s United to Beat Malaria campaign, marking a milestone year with high-profile involvement in both the Annual Leadership Summit and the Move Against Malaria 5K.
Leadership at the Summit
In March, EBC’s UK CEO David Barrett and APAC Director of Operations Samuel Hertz joined over 120 advocates in Washington, D.C. for the United to Beat Malaria Annual Leadership Summit. The three-day event brought together Champions, policymakers, scientists, students, and private sector leaders with a shared goal: ending malaria for good.
EBC’s presence was more than symbolic. Barrett and Hertz joined direct advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill, meeting with US lawmakers to push for continued investment in the President’s Malaria Initiative, the Global Fund, and UN malaria programmes. “What stood out most was the passion of the Champions,” Barrett reflected. “From students to scientists, their energy is contagious. They’re not just learning-they’re leading. And that gives me hope that a healthier, more just world is truly possible.” Hertz added, “Being able to walk into the halls of Congress alongside these dedicated Champions…was a powerful reminder that advocacy works. EBC was proud to represent the private sector in this movement, and even prouder to walk beside the changemakers driving it.”
A Fireside Conversation on Impact
To mark the renewed partnership, Barrett sat down with United to Beat Malaria Executive Director Margaret McDonnell for a 40-minute fireside chat. Their discussion explored the urgent need for global solidarity and why EBC has chosen to champion this cause. “This campaign is now embedded into our leadership strategy and employee culture. This is not a moment, it’s a movement,” Barrett said. McDonnell praised EBC’s commitment, noting, “We appreciate that a company like EBC-though not in public health-recognises the impact of malaria on your workforce, clients, and communities. Malaria isn’t just a health issue. It’s an economic issue, a workforce issue, and a strategic global issue.”
Move Against Malaria 5K: From Solidarity to Action
EBC’s commitment moved from boardrooms to the streets (and treadmills) with the Move Against Malaria 5K, a global virtual challenge running from April 25 to May 10. For the first time, EBC stepped up as a corporate sponsor, mobilising over 200 employees across the UK, Asia, Africa, and Latin America to walk, run, cycle, and raise funds for malaria prevention. This year’s World Malaria Day theme, “Malaria Ends With Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite,” resonated throughout EBC’s activities, with Barrett stating, “In 2024, we stood in solidarity. In 2025, we stand in action.”
Tangible Impact
EBC’s support goes beyond awareness. The company is investing directly in life-saving interventions, including insecticide-treated bed nets, rapid diagnostic tests, and antimalarial treatments, with a focus on frontline health programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. These efforts are part of EBC’s broader ESG and CSR strategy, reinforcing the belief that sustainable business growth must include global health equity.134
Looking Ahead
EBC’s strengthened partnership with United to Beat Malaria in 2025 reflects a shift from passive support to active advocacy and action. As Barrett put it, “At the beginning, it was something of interest. But the more you learn about the lives this movement has saved, the more you realise you’ve got to keep going.”
With more than 1.67 million people protected in 2024 alone and new momentum from the 2025 campaign, EBC’s involvement exemplifies how the private sector can drive meaningful progress in global health-one step, one voice, and one community at a time.