Africa Malaria Day is sponsored by an international organization called Roll Back Malaria, whose members include representatives from the World Health Organization, UNI-CEF, the United Nations, the World Bank, and various member countries, organizations, and agencies. The goal of this organization is to reduce the worldwide number of Malaria cases by one half by the year 2010.
Malaria kills about 3,000 people a day, which adds up to about 1,000,000 people per year. Most of these people are children, and nine out of ten of them live in sub-Saharan Africa.
Africa Malaria Dayis a day dedicatedtoraising public awareness about malaria prevention and treatment, as well as the economic and social toll the disease takes on poor countries. Activities include special media campaigns, demonstrations of the proper use of treated mosquito netting, lectures about the disease, and other educational events. Roll Back Malaria chose April 25 as the date of their newly created holiday in order to commemorate the April 25, 2000, Summit on Malaria, held in Abuja, Nigeria. The first Africa Malaria Day was held the following year in 2001. The United Nations has declared 2001-2010 as the Decade to Roll Back Malaria.
CONTACT:
World Health Organization Ave. Appia 20 Geneva 27 1211 Switzerland 011-41-22-791-21-11; fax: 011-41-22-791-3111
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