David Kyne, campaign manager of United Against Malaria, explains how the football (soccer) community is leveraging the popularity of sport to save lives. ONE is a founding partner of United Against Malaria.
United Against Malaria represents a diverse group of partners – national football teams, African corporations, policymakers, NGOs -– all committed to reaching the malaria community’s No. 1 goal: reducing malaria deaths to near zero by 2015.
During Africa’s premier football championship, Africa Cup of Nations, hosted this year by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, several of the continent’s most popular football stars are doing more than showcasing their moves on the pitch … they are partnering with United Against Malaria to deliver life-saving messages about malaria prevention and treatment, helping protect fans and save lives.
Welcome back to the ONE Blog! While scanning some of the big stories that broke while our offices were closed for the holidays, this one in particular caught my eye. Jennifer Hicks of Forbes reports on the new Lifelens Smartphone app that helps diagnose malaria with a drop of blood. Here’s Lifelens’ video explaining the app:
Erin Hohlfelder is out in Seattle, Wash., this week covering the Gates Foundation’s 2011 Malaria Forum. She’ll be sending out blogs posts and tweets throughout the week, so follow this space!
Photo credit: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
After spending the first day at the Gates Foundation’s Malaria Forum, I can report without question that Seattle is — excuse the pun — buzzing with excitement over the work that’s been done to fight this deadly disease. Hundreds of the world’s foremost malaria scientists and advocates have gathered, #endmalaria is trending on twitter here, and dozens of panels and videos have highlighted the remarkable progress we’ve made in the malaria agenda.
Erin Anderson of Malaria No More shares an incredible opportunity for ONE members to become spokespersons on malaria.
Malaria No More and ONE are looking for passionate individuals to apply to the third course of the Malaria Griots Project! Based on outstanding success in the first two courses, we are eager to start teaching another class of Malaria Griots how to be advocates in their communities and to help achieve the first great humanitarian victory of this century -– an end to malaria deaths.
Tremendous progress has been made in the fight against malaria and reaching the goal of zero malaria deaths is back in sight. The Roll Back Malaria Partnership released a report highlighting a decade of progress in malaria control since the Partnership’s formation. Globally, malaria deaths have been reduced by an estimated 38 percent with 10 African countries and Zanzibar cutting malaria cases and deaths by 50 percent or more since 2000. More than 400 million long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets had been delivered to African countries by end of 2010, enough to cover nearly 80 percent of people at risk of malaria in the whole of Africa. These efforts are paying off: in sub-Saharan Africa alone, the lives of 1.1 million children under five have been saved.
A few weeks ago, the US Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution to honor World Malaria Day, reaffirming US dedication to the fight against malaria (read more about malaria here). The resolution recognizes the importance of combating malaria and supports the goals of World Malaria Day, including ending deaths caused by malaria by 2015.
Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced the resolution. Leaders in working to eradicate malaria, they also co-chair the Senate Working Group on Malaria.
Malaria, a disease which causes death, severe anemia, miscarriages, low birth weights and increased risk for mother-to-child HIV transmission was eliminated from the United States and Europe in 1970. Today, the disease remains endemic in 106 nations, with 90 percent of malaria deaths occurring in Africa. Yeah, you read that right — a disease that was eliminated decades ago in the West is still killing an estimated three-quarters of a million people each year. To be exact, malaria kills a child in Africa every 45 seconds.
ONE is campaigning to ensure that the Congressional budget does not cut foreign assistance programs like Feed the Future that help people break the cycle of poverty and hunger.
The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years. More than 11 million people, mostly nomadic pastoralists and farmers in south-central Somalia, north-eastern Kenya, and south-eastern Ethiopia, are severely lacking access to food.
2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS.
As aid agencies warn more than 9 million people could be affected by a food crisis in East Africa, world leaders are failing to keep their 2009 promises to tackle the causes of chronic hunger and support farmers in the world's poorest countries.
Photo credit: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
