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World Malaria Day

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Malaria: Why Should We Care?

In May 2007 the World Health Assembly, attended by delegations from all of WHO's 192 Member States, considered the latest malaria reports and observed that global awareness of malaria remains low despite the high death toll and cost of the disease. The Health Assembly thus resolved that World Malaria Day shall be commemorated annually to provide "education and understanding of malaria" and spread information on "year-long intensified implementation of national malaria-control strategies, including community-based activities for malaria prevention and treatment in endemic areas." (WHA 60.18)

On this page: About Malaria -- Why Care? -- What To Do?
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About Malaria

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We've all had them--mosquito bites. They suck (pun intended). It's everyone's least favorite thing about hot, humid days. It's an annoying thing in the U.S., but, in tropical climates of the Americas, Africa and parts of Asia, mosquito bites are deadly--and it's entirely preventable.

The female anopheles mosquito carries the parasite that causes malaria. It bites one infected person, picks it up and deposits it into the blood stream of its next meal. As hot, humid days remind us, warmth and moisture are prime habitat for mosquitoes. Areas near rivers, stagnant water, excess brush/trees, are places where mosquitoes decide to settle down and build a family.

Symptoms of malaria include symptoms of anemia, nausea, fever, chills, vomiting, and, in severe cases, coma and death. Some compare malaria to a really bad case of the flu. For adults who have the parasite resident in their system, this is a bit true. But for children under five or any individuals who haven't been exposed to the disease, malaria can be debilitating or even deadly.

According to USAID Malaria Programs, there are as many as 300 million cases of malaria each year, resulting in up to 1 million deaths. More than 90 of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Pregnant women and children are especially susceptible. In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, more children die of malaria than of AIDS--basically one child every 30 seconds. But malaria is a preventable, curable disease. With access to prevention tools such as bed nets and insecticides as well as medicines to prevent and treat, malaria does not have to be deadly. It CAN be solved. A survey from Tanzania has show that if 75 percent of an entire village sleeps under a treated bed net, the malaria incidence among children is reduced by 98 percent.

Why Care?

You probably know that malaria used to be endemic in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported 600,000 cases of malaria in the United States alone in 1914. The National Malaria Eradication Program was launched by the CDC is 1947, and malaria was considered eradicated by 1951--IN JUST 4 SHORT YEARS! This national campaign included techniques such as widespread spraying of insecticides (DDT), water drainage, and removal of mosquito breeding sites. It was closely coordinated with state and local health programs.

So, many parts of the U.S. used to be just as vulnerable to malaria as other parts of the world still are today. Malaria and poverty are intricately connected. The disease remains most virulent in countries of the global south, especially those of sub-Saharan Africa. While wealthy countries such as the United States had means to eradicate malaria in just four years, these countries still struggle under this burden.

If we claim to care about tackling the root causes of poverty and promoting survival for the most vulnerable populations--women and children--we cannot ignore malaria any more than we can ignore HIV and AIDS.

The challenge now is: What can we do about it?

What To Do?

So far away from hands-on contact with those directly affected by malaria, it's tough to know what to do. You CAN do something though.

Based on Acting on AIDS' four pillars of engagement (social, political, spiritual and economic action), here are some things you can do NOW to fight malaria.

Social: Raise awareness on your campus! Friday, April 25 is World Malaria Day. Hand out Malaria Fact Sheets, schedule forums or just talk to your friends.
Political: The Global AIDS Bill includes funding for malaria. On April 24, we will deliver Make Your Mark petitions on Capitol Hill. Sign the petition online and send it to others!
Spiritual: The power of prayer cannot be discounted. Pray for wisdom for decision makers, health and comfort for the vulnerable, and for power and passion to eliminate malaria deaths.
Economic: Bed nets significantly reduce exposure to malaria. You can give toward life-saving malaria eradication programs. Find out how.

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