World Malaria Report: Nets are saving lives

The World Health Organization (WHO) released their 2009 World Malaria Report today, with good news: one-third of the 108 malaria-ravaged countries reduced malaria cases by more than 50 percent in 2008, compared to 2000. That’s a huge drop — malaria cases cut in half in less than a decade!

We just returned from a briefing on Capitol Hill in which the United Nations Foundation’s Vice President for Global Health, Dr. Dan Carucci, alongside Congressman Donald Payne and the Malaria and Neglected Infectious Disease Caucus, Rear Admiral Tim Ziemer of the President’s Malaria Initiative, and Ambassador Mark Green with the Malaria Policy Center, presented these encouraging findings. As Admiral Ziemer pronounced: “This is a good news story!”

And you all have been a part of this progress. Dr. Dan Carucci mentioned Nothing But Nets supporters as part of the “growing movement to end malaria.” A thousand thanks to each of you for being part of this movement.

The simple act of sending nets to save lives will be what gets us to the goal of ending malaria deaths by 2015. The countries that achieved high coverage rates of bed nets and treatment made the most progress. And as Dr. Carucci states, to reach the 2015 goal, everyone — from world leaders to families in malaria-endemic countries –needs to do their part. Thank you for continuing to do yours.

To read Dr. Carucci’s statement, click here.