ON FIRST EVER WORLD MALARIA DAY, FEINGOLD CALLS FOR ACTION April 25, 2008 Washington, D.C. – In honor of World Malaria Day today, U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, made the following statement in which he urged Senate leadership to quickly take up legislation to provide resources to combat the disease in Africa where 85% of the world’s malaria deaths occur. “The U.S. and international efforts to combat malaria, an often invisible killer, are critical in the fight against a disease we deal with infrequently here in the United States. Malaria is no longer perceived as a threat to us – particularly when compared with the devastation wrought by HIV or cancer -- but in sub-Saharan Africa or Asia, malaria is anything but invisible. In these parts of the world, a child dies of malaria every thirty seconds. “Although malaria threatens 40% of the world’s population, and infects four to five hundred million people every year, nearly 60% of these infections occur in sub-Saharan Africa, with most of the remaining cases in Asia. Another factor that distinguishes malaria from afflictions like HIV or cancer is that it is both preventable and curable through relatively low-cost interventions. The fact that more than one million people die of malaria annually – mostly women and young children, and over 85% of them in Africa –is therefore a compelling call to action. “Spread by mosquitoes in tropical and sub-tropical countries, malaria infection can be prevented by sleeping under bed nets treated with insecticides, which cost less than one dollar each. Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to malaria, which leads to maternal anemia and premature delivery, among other problems, and contributes to the deaths of up to 200,000 infants and an estimated 10,000 mothers in sub-Saharan Africa each year. Intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) with antimalarial drugs has proven a safe, effective, and affordable way to protect both mother and child. If malaria is diagnosed quickly, it can be treated with inexpensive drugs and often cured within days. “In 2001, political leaders from forty-four of the fifty malaria-affected countries in Africa established April 25th as Africa Malaria Day to reflect their commitment to rolling back the incidence of malaria in their countries. Today, the United States and the rest of the international community assert our determination to join them in this effort, by recognizing the first-ever World Malaria Day. In communities around the globe, governments, non-profit organizations, and individuals are raising awareness and resources to protect the most vulnerable populations from this preventable and curable disease. I applaud and encourage these efforts. “I am extremely proud of the United States’ leadership in combating malaria. In June 2005, President Bush launched the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI), with a goal of reducing malaria deaths by half in 15 African countries and challenged other donor countries, private foundations, and corporations to help reduce the suffering and death caused by this disease. My colleagues and I have appropriated more than $400 million for the PMI to date, and are currently considering legislation that will formally establish this program by authorizing strategic plans, partnerships with affected countries and dedicated resources – up to $5 billion – over the next five years. I urge the Senate leadership to move quickly to bring the Hyde Lantos U.S. Leadership against AIDS, TB and Malaria Act of 2008 to the floor so that these life-saving interventions can continue uninterrupted and serve as inspiration for other public and private donors to take up this cause. “In 1947, we launched the National Malaria Eradication Program. That year, there were 15,000 reported cases of malaria in the United States; by 1950, that number had fallen to 2,000 and malaria was deemed to have been eradicated from the U.S. What we accomplished at home we now must do overseas. “World Malaria Day is a reminder that we can and must defeat this disease. Today, I commend those who have taken up this important cause and encourage others to do the same.”

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