April 25th – World Malaria Day

Thanks Tanya for telling me about world malaria day and the Nothing But Nets initiative! I did a little reading to see just how big of an issue malaria is in Ethiopia. According to UNICEF:

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-Malaria is a major public health problem in Ethiopia; it contributes up to 20% of under-five deaths. Tragically, in epidemic years, mortality rates of nearly 100,000 children are not uncommon. In the last major malaria epidemic in 2003, there were up to 16 million cases of malaria - 6 million more than an average year.

-Out of an estimated 9 million cases annually, only 4-5 million will be treated in a health facility. It is estimated that only 20 percent of children under five years of age that contact malaria are treated in a facility.

-Malaria is prevalent in 75 percent of the country, putting over 50 million people at risk (out of a country wide population of 77 million).

-Children and pregnant mothers are the most vulnerable.

-Malaria is also known to speed up the onset of AIDS in anyone who is HIV positive.

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The sad thing is that malaria is completely preventable and curable.

*** PLEASE take the time today to click on this link – NothingButNets. All you have to do is submit your email address and one malaria net will be sent to Africa in your honour (this initiative is being funded by the NBA and some other groups). When the page opens there is a game you can play but if you don’t want to play the game just click on the link that says “skip game and send net” (if you don’t want them sending emails to you on a regular basis just remove the check mark where it says “get net news”).