Good Evening Rotarians
World Malaria Day is being commemorated on April 25th, but due to the date clashing with ANZAC day, Malaria Awareness Day is being commemorated on April 30th in Australia. If any clubs are recognising the day could they please let me know so that I can report their event to Southern District RAMS.
If clubs aren't holding an event to recognise Malaria Awareness Day I would be grateful if the International Director could communicate these basic facts about malaria to members at one of their weekly meetings;
- Malaria is one of the major health threats in the world today.
- Malaria impacts 40% of the worlds population in 106 countries.
- 3.2 billion people are at risk.
- 200 million people are infected with malaria resulting in about 400,00 deaths.
- 61% of these deaths are children under the age of 5 or about 300,000 children dying of malaria each year (mainly in Africa)
- Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease.
- For many years there has been intensive research into developing an effective vaccine which has become more important due to resistance to present drugs and insecticides.
- Currently the most effective control method is to sleep under an effective long lasting insecticidal net (LLIN).
- Spraying of walls and cleaning up areas where stagnant water can lie around villagesare also effective measures.
- RAM Australia has helped to decrease the incidence of malaria in the South Pacific, concentrating its efforts in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Timor Leste.
- RAM has raised more than $1.6 million to help eradicate malaria since 2003
- One of RAM's successful programs is "The Healthy Village Program" where RAM pays for tools such as spades, axes, rakes and wheel barrows which are used by the villagers to clean up mosquito breeding areas around their villages.
I hope this information is of use. If anyone needs any additional information or resources please don't hesitate to contact me.
Regards to you all,
Noel Howard