First Lady Laura Bush Joins African Leaders in Historic Declaration to Reduce the Burden of Malaria
Announcement Rapidly Accelerates President's Malaria Initiative
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2005
2005-081
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Contact: USAID Press Office
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Within hours of the opening of the United Nations General Assembly, First Lady Laura Bush, alongside representatives of Angola, Tanzania and Uganda, witnessed the signing of a Declaration that will curb the burden of malaria. The high-level event, hosted by U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Andrew S. Natsios, was held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and represents a series of high-impact activities to rapidly accelerate the President's Malaria Initiative, unveiled by President George W. Bush just before the G-8 Summit in Gleneagles.
On June 30, 2005, President Bush pledged to increase funding of malaria prevention and treatment by more than $1.2 billion over five years. The goal of this effort is to reduce malaria deaths by 50 percent in each of the target countries after three years of full implementation.
"The President's bold initiative and challenge to the world is to dramatically reduce malaria as a major killer of children in sub-Saharan Africa," Administrator Natsios said. "Malaria is a major cause of illness and death in Angola, Tanzania and Uganda, especially among children under five years of age, pregnant women and people living with HIV/AIDS. Today, we are putting the President's words into action and building strong partnerships to reduce the crushing burden of disease in these countries. This is just the first step, and the U.S. and its international partners take on the challenge of saving the most lives from malaria with inspiration, compassion and great expectations."
Today's Declaration will accelerate malaria prevention efforts to save lives through the distribution of long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets and indoor spraying in vulnerable areas. Through these accelerated efforts, by the end of 2006, Angola, Tanzania and Uganda will likely be the first three countries in Africa to achieve the Abuja prevention target: 60 percent coverage of the population with preventative measures.
Each year, 300-500 million malaria infections occur with 1.2 million deaths - 85 percent of which in sub-Saharan Africa. Today, malaria causes an estimated $12 billion in economic losses each year in Africa, robbing 1.3 percent from the annual gross domestic product of endemic countries.
The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years. For more information on USAID, visit: http://www.usaid.gov.
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