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The end of malaria
Sunday was World Malaria Day, which commemorates the global effort to provide effective control of malaria around the world. Folks across the globe brought attention to this disease which, though it is treatable and preventable, kills 1 million people every year. 90% of these deaths are in Africa, and eradicating Malaria will save Africa 8-10 billion dollars a year currently lost in lack of productivity from the illness.
This year, 30 Faiths Act Fellows in Canada, the UK and the U.S. have joined this fight, dedicating themselves to raising awareness and funds towards eradicating deaths due to malaria. I think you'll be as inspired as I was by these young people taking leadership roles in the fight against the scourge of malaria.
- Two US Fellows, Erin and Katie, hosted a Notes for Nets concert in Portland on Saturday. They conceived of and organized this multi-faith event in conjunction with the group of local young leaders they've worked with this year. Their campaign in Portland has consistently focused on the link between the local and the global: 26 local businesses sponsored the event, local artists were featured, and local leaders were pivotal in its organization. Via this effort to inspire local action for global change, the Fellows hoped to raise over $10,000 (all of which would be matched by Tony Blair) to help families combat malaria in Mali.
- The Faiths Act Fellows in Canada have jointly organized a World Malaria Day campaign called Congregations Act. Over 30 faith communities from across Canada have joined so far. Last weekend, each dedicated a portion of their religious service to educating their communities on the urgent need to eradicate malaria. They each also committed to raise at least $100, which will protect 10 families from the disease. See an amazing story of one community's participation here.
- Last Monday, the London Faiths Act Fellows, in conjunction with the Tony Blair Faith Foundation and Malaria No More UK, held the first ever Night Under Nets party at Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) in London. This event (the first ever multi-faith event held at HTB) brought people together from a vast array of faiths to raise funds for and awareness of World Malaria Day. Over 250 young people were in attendance and over £5,000 were raised to support the malaria eradication efforts. With the help of local young leaders, the Fellows put on the event. In addition to the funds raised on the night, Sumitomo (the London-based company responsible for manufacturing the Olyset bednets) sponsored the event by donating one bednet for every party-goer who attended.
This generation is the first with the capacity to end deaths from malaria worldwide. With young people like these leading the charge, I have no doubt that they can make history.
By
Eboo Patel
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April 26, 2010; 9:10 AM ET
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Posted by: jv26 | April 27, 2010 11:20 PM
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While we eradicate malaria, we should also eradicate the koran which is the major source of today's bloody wars, terror and aggresion:
To wit:
1a) 179 killed in Mumbai/Bombay, 290 injured
1b) Assassination of Benazir Bhutto and Theo Van Gogh
2) 9/11, 3000 mostly US citizens, 1000’s injured
3) The 24/7 Sunni-Shiite centuries-old blood feud currently being carried out in Iraq, US Troops 3,482 killed in action, 912
in non-comabat, 95,888 – 104,595 Iraqi civilians killed, http://www.iraqbodycount.org/ and
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/casualty.pdf
4) Kenya- In Nairobi, about 212 people were killed and an estimated 4000 injured; in Dar es Salaam, the attack killed at least 11 and wounded 85.[2]
5) Bali-in 2002-killing 202 people, 164 of whom were foreign nationals, and 38 Indonesian citizens. A further 209 people were injured.
6) Bali in 2005- Twenty people were killed, and 129 people were injured by three bombers who killed themselves in the attacks.
7) Spain in 2004- killing 191 people and wounding 2,050.
8) UK in 2005- The bombings killed 52 commuters and the four radical Islamic suicide bombers, injured 700.
9) The execution of an eloping couple in Afghanistan on 04/15/2009 by the Taliban.
10) Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan: US troops killed in action 745, 210 killed in non-combat situations as of 04/17/2010. en.wikipedia.org/.../Civilian_casualties_of_the_War_in_Afghanistan_(2001–present reported that 13,372 - 32,969 Afghan civilians have been killed by direct and indirect armed conflict through 2009.
11) The killing of 13 citizen soldiers at Ft. Hood by a follower of the koran.
12) 38 Russian citizens killed on March 29, 2010 by Muslim women suicide bombers.
Posted by: YEAL9 | April 26, 2010 4:15 PM
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The world was about to get rid of polio until the islamists felt otherwise. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61984-2004Jun22.html)
Can you stop the islamists from ruining this too?
hariaum
Posted by: Navin1 | April 26, 2010 11:07 AM
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The comments to this entry are closed.
What do you think of this Indonesian "anti-blasphemy" anti-apostasy enactment:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/asma-uddin/the-indonesian-constituti_b_554463.html
Another reason to not travel thence?
Has it appeared heretofore in the WaPo? If not, why not?