Lifeblood

In 2006 the rich, well-connected but very private philanthropist Ray Chambers flicked through some holiday snaps taken by his friend, development economist Jeff Sachs. He remarked on the placid beauty of a group of sleeping Malawian children. 'They're not sleeping,' Sachs told a shocked Chambers. 'They¿re in malarial comas. A few days later, they were all dead.' So began Chambers' mission to eradicate a disease that has haunted humanity since before the advent of medicine, a disease that infects half a billion and kills a million people each year. The campaign drew in presidents, celebrities, scientists and billions of dollars, and was a groundbreaking success. It saved millions of lives and helped set Africa on a path towards prosperity. By replacing traditional ideas of assistance with business acumen and hustle, Chambers also upturned current notions of aid, forging a new path not just for the developing world but for global business, religion and even celebrities. As he follows two years of Chambers' campaign, award-winning journalist Alex Perry takes the reader across Africa, from a terrifying visit to the most malaria-stricken town on earth to a star-studded FIFA World Cup concert, encountering jungle scientists, fugitive guerrillas, presidents, religious leaders and icons of the global aid industry along the way. In Lifeblood, Perry weaves together science and history with on-the-ground reporting and a riveting expose of the workings of humanitarian aid as he documents a race against time to save millions of lives. The result is a thrilling and all-too-rare tale of humanitarian triumph, as well as an incisive portrait of modern Africa that has profound implications for how to build a better world.