Observing World Malaria Day
Taking Up the Cause of Awareness and Eradication on April 25
The United States Center for Disease Control estimates that roughly 350 to 500 million people will become ill from malaria each year, and of those who are infected, more than one million will die. In an effort to combat this global crisis, a day of awareness and action known as World Malaria Day has been established.
Since 2001, April 25 has been commemorated as Africa Malaria Day. Beginning in May 2007, the World Health Assembly (a meeting of delegations from the World Health Organization’s 193 member nations) decided to instead commemorate April 25 as World Malaria Day to raise awareness about the disease and to inspire action on a broader scale.
Staggering Statistics and the 2015 Millennium Goal
Awareness and action have become crucial. Although malaria is both preventable and curable, it remains the leading cause of death for African children under five years of age and, on average, a child somewhere in the world dies from malaria every thirty seconds. Malaria has also been found to contribute to the cycle of poverty, as it devastates poorer communities without the financial resources to respond with adequate health care. These facts and statistics, which are reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and relief organizations such as World Vision, constitute frightening trends.
But, there is hope. With the continuing efforts of a number of organizations and the introduction of this global day of awareness, large strides are being made toward eradicating the disease. The vision of the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership, which combines the efforts of the WHO, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the World Bank, is that by 2015 malaria will no longer be a “major cause of mortality” or a “barrier to social and economic development and growth anywhere in the world.”
In addition to the establishment of World Malaria Day, this vision for 2015 is being met through continued fundraising for the cause. Yet, although great progress has been made, there is still much work to be done. As the website for RBM states, “Since the launch of the Rollback Malaria Partnership, donor funding for malaria has increased from $100 million to $1 billion annually. Nevertheless, current funding covers only a third of the estimated global need. An additional $2 billion is needed every year to control malaria worldwide.”
If the RBM Partnership is able to secure this funding they, along with other relief organizations, will bring the world closer to eradicating malaria. The funding will provide bed nets that have been treated with insecticides and will provide medication to assist with the prevention and treatment of the disease. The funds may also be used to conduct research and raise awareness.
The Global AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Bill
In addition to the efforts of the agencies named above, there is also a movement urging the United States Congress to reauthorize legislation known as the Global AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Bill. The current bill, which devotes money to each of these diseases, expires on September 30, 2008, and must be reauthorized in order for the funding to continue. If the bill is reauthorized, it would allocate several billion dollars to the prevention and treatment of malaria.
Getting Involved
So, this April 25, let us join hands and take part in World Malaria Day by helping to advance the cause. Whether we read an article to increase our own understanding, give our time as a volunteer, donate money to an organization that fights the disease, or spend time asking our representative in Congress to support the reauthorization of the Global AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Bill, every action we take will make a difference.
Just as the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was quoted as saying on the RBM website, “Only by being bold and ambitious in our approach can we combat and ultimately eradicate this disease."
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