Photos by Michael Stobe/Stobephotos

This weekend, I had the chance to represent Malaria No More and United Against Malaria—a new partnership of organizations, including ONE!, committed to fighting malaria—at the Nutmeg youth soccer tournament in Wilton, CT. On Sunday, Congressman Jim Himes (Connecticut-4), a member of the Congressional Malaria Caucus, joined 1,000 Connecticut kids to show his support for United Against Malaria.

While cheering on the youth players, Congressman Himes underscored the importance of supporting the ongoing fight against malaria, saying, “The chance to win a victory against malaria shows how we can reach ambitious goals both on the soccer field and in the global effort to improve health care worldwide.”

We couldn’t agree more! MNM had a great time hosting the United Against Malaria Speed Shot Contest, where players took time out from their team competition to test their individual skill, learn about malaria and help score against the disease! Families stopped by to donate a $10 lifesaving mosquito net and to learn more about United Against Malaria, and kids got the opportunity to take a shot and see how fast they could kick a soccer ball into a bed net goal. Winners in each age category received two tickets to a Major League Soccer game and United Against Malaria soccer jerseys.

Congressman Himes’s enthusiasm for the campaign was matched by the tournament organizers who saw the United Against Malaria campaign: “We are so proud to help raise awareness about malaria in the community and show our kids how they can help kids in Africa,” remarked Wilton Soccer Association President Andy Hoffman. “United Against Malaria shows just how important teamwork is to defeating malaria for once and for all.”

One thing was for sure: regardless of the final score, players at the Nutmeg tournament won a major victory against malaria. We hope that youth soccer players across the country will join us and the malaria community in standing United Against Malaria and help send malaria off the field for good!

-John Logsdon, Malaria No More

Former Senator Bill Frist was on MSNBC’s Morning Joe this morning and spoke at length about deadly and preventable diseases in Africa. He also spoke about the need for clean water and what a long way that goes in saving children’s lives.

Senator Frist also has an op-ed in today’s Washington Times on the state of Africa’s children which you can read here.

You can check out the clip here, partial transcript below:

These deaths are preventable, and it’s cheap and we know how to do that. And people think of malaria and HIV and tuberculosis– all very serious– but the number one disease is cardiovascular disease. And we must continue to focus on malaria and bed nets, but simply clean water can go further in saving lives inexpensively around the world.

-Chris Scott

Across the globe, the race is on to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. Soccer teams representing countries across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas are competing to be one of the 32 participating squads that will gather in South Africa next summer for the chance at the world title.

As the teams battle it out on the field to qualify this summer, working on their chemistry and honing their lineups along the way, ONE is also suiting up—and for a very formidable, versatile and talented group of players (if we may say so).

The team that ONE is joining will be made up of some of the best soccer players in the world, as well as celebrities, leading NGOs, foundations, corporations and government officials. But rather than hoist the World Cup Trophy, our squad’s goal is a little different. We want to beat malaria.

The team is called “United Against Malaria,” and this new global partnership kicked off today in South Africa at the World Economic Forum on Africa’s annual meeting. Kofi Annan helped make the announcement in an event in Cape Town.

By leveraging the 2010 World Cup—an important moment, not just for soccer fans, but for Africa itself—United Against Malaria aims to catalyze the world to reach the 2010 goal of universal access to mosquito nets and malaria medicine in Africa, a crucial first step to reaching the international target of reducing malaria deaths to near zero by 2015.

Like soccer, United Against Malaria will have a presence across the globe. In the United States and other donor countries, the team will work to strengthen political and public will to increase malaria programming and funding (and that’s where ONE members come in—more on that later).

In Africa, the team will work with governments to strengthen political commitment to prioritize malaria control, and to increase consistent, appropriate utilization of prevention tools like bed nets and malaria treatment. And as you can tell from the accompanying pictures, the campaign has already kicked off in Africa. United Against Malaria was on the ground this past Sunday for the first time on the continent, raising awareness about the effort with the crowd at the recent World Cup qualifier match between Ghana and Mali in Bamako, Mali. (For those keeping score, Ghana won, 2-0.)

The team is still coming together. Joining ONE in starting this ambitious campaign is Comic Relief, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Malaria No More, PATH, Population Services International, the Roll Back Malaria Partnership and the United Nations Foundation, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

We will have more big signups and teammates to announce in the months ahead—including some big stars from both sport and entertainment. But most importantly, the team will need you. We’ll need your voice, energy and commitment to help raise awareness and build the political and public will to tackle this disease once and for all. There are no tryouts; just a belief that in the next five years, deaths from malaria should and must end.

The United Against Malaria team is shaping up nicely. Now we need you. Get in the game early by visiting www.unitedagainstmalaria.com today.

As the 2010 World Cup approaches, stay tuned to the ONE blog for more updates on the United Against Malaria team.

-Steve Wilson

David Poland of PATH offers this amazing account of the Phase 3 trial of the RTS,S malaria vaccine candidate.

Photo: MVI/David Poland
Trial participants and their mothers (on bench) with Dr. Salim Abdulla (standing left) and vaccination staff at the Bagamoyo Research and Training Centre of the Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) in Tanzania.

The initial vaccination of the Phase 3 trial of the RTS,S malaria vaccine candidate was at hand. Pulling through the gate of the district hospital and up to research facility, I saw Dr. Salim Abdulla, Director of the Ifakara Health Institute, Dr. Omary Juma, and Dr. Kafuruki Shubis talking out front.

“The day is here my friend,” Salim remarked, with the entire group sporting broad grins.

Salim convened the larger team for a last review of roles and instructions. I then made my way to the vaccination area and saw the five mothers and their rambunctious children who had already been screened for the trial. Staffer Richard Kamata was methodically explaining the consent form to the mothers and responding to their questions. A few exchanges provoked some laughter and ribbing and the mood was relaxed and casual.

The mothers then had individual sessions before giving their written consent. Shortly after, the toddlers were given their medical exams. For Salim, this was a time of wait and see; if a child showed signs of illness, they could not participate in the trial that day.

An hour later, the screening results came in. All the children were fit to be vaccinated…and Salim breathed a sigh of relief. “We’re still moving,” he affirmed.

The insulated box with the vaccines, hoisted on the shoulder of a team member, was brought down to the vaccination area. A file of research staff followed the box in a cheerful informal procession.

Finally the moment arrived. The mom was smiling and conversing with the nurses, while her daughter looked about curiously. Salim and the researchers left the vaccination room, as dictated by strict protocol of the double-blind study, and stood outside. The nurse confidently positioned the young girl and administered the injection. With that first piercing cry, I could swear I heard someone outside exclaim “All right.” A minute later, the girl was back to her normal inquisitive self. Mother and child made their way to the monitoring area and the other participants soon followed.

I went out in the courtyard and Salim declared “Well, we’ve started,” and there were handshakes all around. “Now the real work begins,” he added.

The monitoring period proceeded, and the children were regularly checked by the attending doctors. The children were given a final check and found to be fine—which seemed evident by the way they were back to playing.

The mothers and kids strolled out of the vaccination courtyard—off to attend to their daily activities. Salim and his extended team met to debrief about the day. Afterwards, the team went out on the veranda and enjoyed a modest celebratory lunch as the breeze blew through from the Indian Ocean.

A good day indeed for all involved.

Download more information on RTS,S and the Phase 3 trial:

• Fact sheet: Phase 3 trial of RTS,S (49 KB PDF)
• Fact sheet: RTS,S malaria vaccine candidate (83KB PDF)
• RTS,S frequently asked questions (47KB PDF)

-David Poland, Communications Officer, PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative

Islamic Relief USA is committed to combating and preventing the spread of malaria and has been working in high risk areas of Mali for years, providing medicines and insecticide-treated nets for affected communities. Malaria is known to be one of the oldest diseases affecting mankind. While its specific age is still debated, its deadly affects on human beings are not.

Last month, IR USA launched its Bite the Bug campaign to help end the spread of malaria and treat those affected. The campaign is mobilizing thousands of volunteers across the United States to educate others on malaria and its adverse affects.

Focused on aiding pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under age five, Islamic Relief’s malaria treatment and prevention projects aim to:

• Reduce the rate of infant mortality by 50%
• Decrease school absenteeism by 25%
• Reduce malaria cases among pregnant women by 25%
• Reduce anemia cases in pregnant women by 15%

Stopping the spread of malaria is not as difficult as it might seem. You can sign up to join our National Campaign by visiting www.bitethebug.org. At Bite the Big you can find out how you and your friends can help to provide insecticide-treated bed nets for protection against mosquitoes as well as medicines to treat patients diagnosed with malaria.

Between 2001 and 2006, malaria deaths increased three-fold in Mali. Help bite back against malaria today!

-Nazia A. Hossain, National Volunteer Coordinator

What do Quincy Jones, UN Ambassador Dr. Susan Rice, the Sultan of Sokoto, Nigeria, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria, Rabbi David Saperstein, ExxonMobil, Tony Blair Faith Foundation, the First Ladies of Cape Verde and Mozambique, and 8-year old

They are all acting together in the fight against malaria in sub-Saharan Africa.

Friday, I attended the “One World Against Malaria Summit” and heard from each of these leaders who are acting together to end malaria deaths by 2015. Presented by the UN Center for Interfaith Action on Global Poverty (CIFA), the event was the first of its kind, bringing together diverse actors from the worlds of faith, government, NGOs, the arts, and business. The event was led by UN Special Envoy Ray Chambers, and Ed Scott, Chairman of CIFA and one of the founders of DATA.

We can beat malaria. Bed nets to protect against malaria cost only $10 – and they provide “a night of sleeping in paradise,” as one attendee of the event described. Yet, it is estimated that 900,000 people around the world die each year from malaria – 85% of those are children under 5 in Africa. Yesterday’s event outlined the urgent, yet achievable goal of ending malaria deaths by 2015.

In a key-note address, Dr. Susan Rice, the US Ambassador to the United Nations, underscored the role of US leadership in ending malaria deaths, offering that it was in “American interests and American values.” She went on to highlighted President Barack Obama’s commitment to the fight through the President’s Malaria Initiative and its $1.2 billion dollar 5-year expansion.

(more…)

Today isn’t any old day. Today is World Malaria Day!

Below, a recap of some of recent op-eds and news on the topic.

Financial Times—A New Push to Combat Malaria (FT editorial)

Financial Times– World’s best chance to tackle killer (op-ed by Andrew Jack)

Wall Street Journal—Target Malaria (op-ed by Peter Chernin)

The Hill—Malaria’s Death toll shocking but can be cut to zero by 2015 (op-ed by Reps. Donald Payne and John Boozman)

AP: US to lead in ending malaria deaths by 2015

CNN: Can malaria deaths be eradicated by 2015?

The Guardian Weekly—Closing the Net on Malaria: A view on the ground in Uganda (op-ed by aid worker Agnes Suubi)

The Capital Times (Madison, Wisc.)– We have the know-how and must eradicate malaria (Letter to the editor by ONE member James Bero)

Let’s get hypothetical. If you were to make a list of malaria’s greatest fears, what would you include?

Topping my list would be Rwanda, which in the last three years decreased the reported incidence of malaria by 60% — and there’s nothing hypothetical about that.

Thursday, I had the opportunity to attend the Global Health Council’s congressional briefing on Rwanda’s fight against malaria. Through an incredible integration of prevention, treatment, mosquito control, and health system strengthening, Rwanda decreased cases of malaria reported in public clinics from 1.7 million in 2005 to 700,000 in 2008! How did Rwanda do it?

To begin, Rwanda implemented the common system of community health workers in a unique and effective way. Instead of having the community health workers act as an extension of individual NGOs or other charitable organizations, they are an official piece of Rwanda’s health system. Rwanda’s community health workers are elected by their community, hired by the government, and are therefore accountable to both. They are the backbone of Rwanda’s progress in eradicating malaria, and the numbers back this up.

In 2005, only 1 in 10 high-risk households had a bed net. In 2008, after the distribution and usage follow-ups by the community health workers, this number rose to 6 in 10. In addition, 9 out of 10 fevers are treated within the first 24 hours and 9 out of 10 high-risk households are sprayed with pesticide. Both the treatment and spraying are done by the community health workers. Couple the work in the field with a government that is extremely results-oriented and tough on corruption, it is no surprise that Rwanda is winning the fight against this preventable disease.

Though there are definitely factors still to be confronted, the largest being tackling malaria not just in Rwanda but the region as a whole, the foundation is laid and the enthusiasm is there. In a region where it is easy to focus on the challenges, it is refreshing to hear a positive story.

-Ian McGroarty, ONE’s US Field Team Intern

The PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative created a video that highlights the need to start preparing now for a malaria vaccine. African scientists share their thoughts on the science behind malaria vaccine development and the need to link research with policy to speed decisionmaking and ultimately, getting medicines to those in need.

-Lisa K. Fleisher

Yesterday afternoon, I went to a congressional briefing describing new tools that can be used in the fight against malaria, co-sponsored by the Global Health Council, Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, and the Foundation for Innovative Diagnostics (FIND).

Every thirty seconds, a child dies from malaria. This leads to over one million deaths each year, including 700,000 children under five, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. While these statistics are heartbreaking, there have been significant improvements in the medicines that treat malaria. Even more encouraging, developments in science may lead to a vaccine that has the potential to prevent and ultimately eradicate the disease.

Antony Kalm, the Executive Vice-President of Corporate Development at Medicines for Malaria Venture described a partnership with Novartis to develop the first effective, affordable and child-friendly anti-malarial treatment called Coartem Dispersable.

Coartem Dispersable, which was launched in February this year, was created for children infected with malaria. Unlike other bitter-tasting malarial drugs, Coartem-D is sweet-tasting which greatly improves kids’ willingness to take the medicine. Just as important, it is cost-effective; the full treatment is just 37 cents for young children and 80 cents for older children. So far, the reaction to the medicine has been positive by children, parents and doctors alike.

Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) PATH is working to develop a malarial vaccine called RTS, S that children would take as a preventative measure. RTS, S is a developing vaccine that has the most progression yet. It will enter the third and final stage within a few months, and, if successful, could possibly be implemented by 2012. Hopefully on World Malaria Day in 2012, we will have a lot to celebrate.

-Julie Ramaccia, ONE’s Government Relations Intern