World Malaria Day – 2009
A Day to Act
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Expectant mother, Yemeh Smith, smiles nervously as she received her rapid diagnostic test for malaria from a trained community health volunteer in Todee District, Liberia. |
April 25, 2009, marks the second annual World Malaria Day. Malaria is a deadly mosquito-borne disease, which takes nearly 1 million lives per year and afflicts as many as half a billion people in 109 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
This year’s theme, “Counting Malaria Out,” is timely as we count down to meet the international goal of delivering effective and affordable protection and treatment to all people at risk of malaria by 2010.
On behalf of the American people, the U.S. Government has taken extraordinary steps to curb the spread of this preventable and curable disease. During the third year of implementation of the President’s Malaria Initiative, the U.S. reached more than 32 million people with malaria prevention or treatment measures. In 2008, PMI procured more than 6.4 million long-lasting mosquito nets for free distribution to pregnant women and young children and a total of 15.6 million antimalarial drug treatments. Indoor residual spraying activities covered 6 million houses and protected nearly 25 million persons at risk of malaria.
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Today, for the first time in 50 years, the international community is poised to win the fight against malaria worldwide. We have effective drugs to treat malarial illness as well as effective tools to prevent malaria, such as insecticide-treated nets, indoor residual spraying, and safe, inexpensive drugs delivered as part of antenatal care services for pregnant women.
On World Malaria Day, we strengthen our commitment to rid Africa of malaria by expanding proven approaches and interventions until they reach each and every child and pregnant woman who needs them. The prize in reducing the intolerable burden of malaria in Africa will be healthier mothers and children and also a chance for greater economic growth throughout Africa.
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Read the PMI Third Annual Report: Working With Communities to Save Lives in Africa, March 2009 [PDF, 4.5MB] |
What's New
- Read Fast Facts about PMI [PDF, 599KB]
- View the PMI Third Annual Report: Working With Communities to Save Lives in Africa - March 2009 [PDF, 4.5MB]
- Read the Executive Summary for the Third Annual Report [PDF, 683KB].
New Success Stories on PMI Activities
- Malawi: Partnering with Churches in Rural Malawi to Prevent Malaria
- Malawi: Building Health Workers' Skills to Implement a New Malaria Treatment Policy in Malawi
- Rwanda: Rolling Out ACTs in the Private Sector in Rwanda
- Zambia: Malaria on the Retreat in Zambia – Community Sees Results from Indoor Residual Spraying
- Zanzibar: A Public-Private Partnership Helps to Contain Malaria Outbreaks on Zanzibar
Read more PMI success stories
Additional Information