Executive Summary

When Marathon acquired production interests on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea (EG) in 2002, and through engagement with the Equatorial Guinea Government and the EG Ministry of Health and Social Well-being (MoH), the company quickly identified malaria (Plasmodium falciparum) as the key health issue facing employees and local communities. It became clear that elimination or at least a drastic reduction of malaria on Bioko Island would not only reduce the health care and economic burden of this devastating disease on the local population where it accounts for almost half of child mortality, but that this would also help protect the local workforce.

To meet this critical challenge head-on, Marathon and its business partners teamed with the Equatorial Guinean Government and leading health specialists to design a comprehensive malaria eradication program -- the Bioko Island Malaria Control Program (BIMCP).  The partnership has worked collaboratively to roll out a three-pronged malaria control program at an exceptionally rapid pace.  The program, which was initiated in 2003, consists of three principal interventions:  1) Vector Control:  Primary intervention is accomplished through indoor residual spraying (IRS), which breaks the cycle of infected mosquitoes transmitting the parasite to new victims; 2)  Case Management: This required medical staffs to be trained to diagnose and treat malaria cases using new protocols that rely on combination drug therapies to overcome resistance to long-standing treatments based on use of a single drug; and 3) Monitoring and Surveillance:  Designed to monitor the effectiveness of the program (reduction in mosquito numbers and their level of infectivity), this component checks ongoing project results and facilitates necessary operational adjustments.

Company Overview

Marathon is the fourth-largest U.S.-based fully integrated international energy company engaged in exploration and production; integrated gas; and refining, marketing and transportation operations.  The company has exploration and production activities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Angola, Canada, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Indonesia, Ireland, Libya and Norway.  Marathon is also developing integrated gas projects that are linking stranded natural gas resources with key demand areas where domestic production is declining and demand is growing, particularly in North America.  Marathon is the fifth largest refiner in the U.S. with 974,000 bpd of crude processing capacity in its seven-refinery system.  The company's retail marketing system comprises approximately 5,700 locations in 17 states; nearly three-quarters are Marathon brand locations.  Marathon serves the Midwest and Southeast as a petroleum products marketer with 87 light product and asphalt terminals and the company owns, operates, leases or has an ownership interest in approximately 9,900 miles of pipeline.