Join the movement to eliminate malaria by 2015.
Why Malaria?
Malaria kills nearly 2,000 children every day, making it one of the world’s top child-killers. Expectant mothers, babies, and children under 5 are especially vulnerable. In fact, in sub-Saharan Africa, 85 percent of malaria victims are children under 5. This statistic is even more tragic because every one of these deaths is 100 percent preventable.
Malaria wreaks havoc in communities. Children and adults can suffer from malaria over and over, leaving them with permanent physical and mental disabilities. Pregnant women who contract malaria are at high risk for low-weight or stillborn babies.
Malaria compounds the effects of malnutrition and HIV, chokes education and economic development, and keeps the cycle of poverty spinning.
Malaria has a staggering economic impact. The disease costs Africa’s economy $12 billion a year — yet could be controlled for a fraction of that.
- Millions of painful “sick days” make it harder for parents to earn their way out of poverty.
- Affected families can spend up to a third of their income on the disease.
- Kids lose out on life-changing education: one in three missed school days in Africa are due to malaria.
Malaria is an unjust disease. Although it was eradicated in the United States more than 60 years ago, malaria is still a leading cause of death for children around the world. Malaria afflicts primarily the poorest populations, who tend to live in malaria-prone areas and lack access to prevention and treatment tools.
