[afro-nets] AFM Thanks US Congress for Fighting Malaria

["Philip Coticelli" <pcoticelli@gmail.com>]

AFM Thanks US Congress for Fighting Malaria
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This Thanksgiving, Africa Fighting Malaria is thankful for key members of the US Congress who have prioritized the fight against malaria, a disease which kills over a million people each year. Please find an AFM Thank You Card that will be delivered to Congress on Tuesday, November 21, 2006 here: 
http://www.fightingmalaria.org/pdfs/AFM%20Thanksgiving%20Card.pdf
Our embargoed Media Release with contact details follows below.

*Media Release
Embargoed: 0900 EST, November 21, 2006*

*AFM Thanks Key Legislators For Progress on Malaria Control*

Washington, D.C. – To commemorate Thanksgiving, Africa Fighting Malaria (AFM) today acknowledges and thanks 13 US Senators and Representatives for their role in improving malaria control internationally. AFM delivered a detailed thank you card to Congress to highlight past efforts and encourage future leadership in fighting a preventable and treatable disease which kills over a million people worldwide each year.

Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Sam Brownback (R-KS) received top honors for making malaria a top priority during their Subcommittee Chairmanships. Senator Coburn has played an important role in making sure that US taxpayer's money is spent on the best possible interventions and that US agencies are more accountable and transparent in the way that they spend that money.

"We are very encouraged by the reforms and improvements that USAID has made and acknowledge the vital role that Senator Coburn has played in that regard" said Richard Tren, Director of AFM.

AFM further acknowledged Representatives Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) and Nita Lowey (D-NY), and Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) for ensuring full funding for the requested FY2006 budgets for the President's Malaria Initiative and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. AFM considers these two organizations to be instrumental to bringing malaria under control in poor countries. They both employ fully integrated approaches to malaria control in line with the World Health Organization's guidelines, including effective drugs, insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying.

Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) was thanked for hosting a Congressional briefing on malaria on Capitol Hill earlier this year. Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) was thanked for providing logistical support for this event and for making global malaria control a priority during his Subcommittee chairmanship. Honorable mention went to Senators James Inhofe (R-OK) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) for encouraging debate on the role of science in formulating public health policy with reference to using DDT against malaria. DDT remains highly effective in the fight against malaria and in 2006 the WHO called for greater support for the careful application of insecticides, including DDT, to control the disease.  USAID has been successfully supporting insecticide spraying in several countries and has purchased DDT – a move that AFM welcomes.  Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL), Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Mike DeWine (R-OH) also received honorable mention for their efforts to increase US financial commitments to the Global Fund.

AFM acknowledged these leaders as the 109th Congress organizes a conference agreement to fully fund the proposed $223 million for the President's Malaria Initiative and the $600 million US contribution to the Global Fund.

"The new Congress and new Democratic Committee and Subcommittee chairs also need to make malaria control a priority," said Tren. "Over one million people, mostly children die from a preventable and treatable disease. We have the tools to rid the developing world of malaria as we did in North America and Europe decades ago, and strong guidance from the World Health Organization under Dr. Arata Kochi."

AFM will be working with the 110th Congress to ensure full funding for FY2008 requests for malaria control and strong Congressional oversight to make sure the organizations receiving taxpayer money, like USAID, the Global Fund and the World Bank, are following best practices and using the most effective tools to fight this disease.

Contact Details

Richard Tren
Africa Fighting Malaria
Tel: +1-202-223-3298
mailto:rtren@fightingmalaria.org

Philip Coticelli
Africa Fighting Malaria
Tel +1-202-223-3519
mailto:pcoticelli@fightingmalaria.org

Africa Fighting Malaria
1050 17th St., NW, Suite 520
Washington, D.C. 20036
http://www.fightingmalaria.org