Malaria in Africa and around the world

Today, April 25, has been declared Malaria Awareness Day in the United States. This day has been observed as Africa Malaria Day since 2000. The day is intended to create an awareness of malaria and highlight opportunities in the fight against this disease.

Some of you may remember that when I went to Kenya, I took a pill daily to help protect me from malaria. Those who have known me longer may remember that I took a weekly pill when I went to Madagascar for the same purpose. I was lucky to be able to have that simple way to prevent this deadly disease; the anti-malaria pills kill the larvae of the malaria-causing parasite before it can cause you harm. The pills don't keep the mosquitoes from biting you and infecting you, but they can prevent you from getting sick.

Unfortunately, people in developing countries may not have access to such medication. Malaria is the leading cause of death in African children under the age of 5. The disease kills more than one million people each year in Africa. Halting malaria and other diseases is one of the United Nations' Millennium Goals.

In 2005, President Bush began a 5-year effort to encourage America's private sector (businesses) to assist the government in fighting malaria and cutting the disease's mortality rate in half in target nations. Kenya and Madagascar, the African countries closest to my heart, are part of this program, along with Angola, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, and Zambia. About 10% of the population of Zambia will receive bed nets (mosquito nets), and another 500,000 nets will be distributed in Uganda, meaning that about half of the households there will have a net. Also, as part of a campaign that includes polio vaccines, nets will be distributed to nearly 1.4 million children under the age of 5. After 2 years, more than 11 million people are said to have benefited from this program.

Some of you may be aware of all of this through American Idol's "Idol Gives Back" show, in which Malaria Awareness Day and various related campaigns were highlighted. The orphans of Kibera, Kenya were highlighted in this show, among others. I found it impossible not to be moved by the images of those children: children smiling, children crying, children hoping for something more. Knowing Africa as I do, these images hit home. I hope they helped some of you see what I have seen. Even though the program benefited Americans living in poverty as much or more as Africans, I'm impressed that the show highlighted worldwide problems as well as those closer to home.

For more facts about malaria, read the FAQ here: http://rbm.who.int/amd2007/docs/malaria_faq.pdf

I hope you'll think about malaria today, and the difficulties that it can cause throughout the world. We're lucky here in America to not have to face this particular mosquito-born parasite.

And OK, I'll admit to a few tears during the segments about Kibera and Josh Grobin's performance of "You Raise Me Up" with the African Children's Choir. It all makes me wish that there was more that I could do...