"Malaria is a scourge we will end. President Obama is committed to making the United States a global leader in ending deaths from malaria by 2015," said Rice.
The ‘One World Against Malaria’ Campaign was also initiated in the same conference. Faith leaders and institutions are all set to help educate people about the disease, its cure and prevention methods.
“Faith-based organizations are more effective in bringing about the social change that is necessary if the fight against malaria is to succeed. Governments are effective at organizing spraying campaigns and distributing nets,” says Ed Scott, chairman of the Center for Inter-Faith Action on Global Poverty (CIFA).
Many endeavors have been made towards eradicating this disease, and malaria has almost been wiped out from North America and Europe in the last decade. Still, nearly one million people die yearly from malaria in other parts of the world.
According to UNICEF, Africa is the major victim of malaria, which has especially gripped school-going children in the continent. But 125,000 deaths have been prevented in African countries from 2001-2007.
The use of insecticide treated nets that have proved effective in safeguarding against malaria has increased since 2000 in 19 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, which is hardest hit by this disease.
But convincing people to use the insecticide treated nets to prevent malaria is not very easy. In the past, faith institutions have come in handy in encouraging people to use these nets for their safety.
More than 150 faith based institutions and other anti malaria organizations have volunteered to help support the United State's battle against malaria.
The jazz player, Quincy Jones, who has been actively working against malaria, was also awarded during this conference for his song, ‘We are the World’. This is a fund raising song for the malaria free world campaign.
"It's a remarkable thing to be on the road to defeating malaria," he said. This indeed is true and the whole world should join in to support this campaign initiated by the US, and Malaria will most likely be extinct by 2015.
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