September 25, 2008

Worldwide Malaria No More / Tony Blair Faith Foundation Videoconference

Report by David Tuckman

Dear Southern California UNA-USA Chapters:

Tonight, as a young professional,  I was part of the Worldwide Malaria No More/Tony Blair Faith Foundation Videoconference & panel discussion on the UN Millennium Development Goals with 100 young people in the panel and 1000s worldwide on combating malaria.

Malaria is the #1 killer in Africa and hugely affects Latin America as well. It is completely preventable by bed nets with insecticide. It only costs $10 for a bed net to save a life.

We saw a powerful video “The Story of a Bed Net” during the panel, and during that time 8 children died of malaria in Africa.

One million deaths are totally preventable.

We were all asked to pick up our cell phones and text 90999 and we did. In doing so we gave $5 toward the purchase of a mosquito net. This work of Malaria No More is so important that my Chapter just started our own Chapter-wide e-mail campaigns engaging our YPIC members, students and general  membership for Malaria No More.  As a Division officer I have spoken to Division President Carl Mariz about engaging all chapters to support Malaria No More which has led to this e-mail to encourage each of you all to pick up your cell phones and text 90999 to donate and then spread the word to your friends to donate. You will get a reply text asking you to confirm. Text “yes”

We often don’t think our actions, which are often small gestures, can have a big impact. This project WILL save a million lives or more

Best,
David Tuckman

Division Secretary & YPIC Chair
San Fernando Valley Chapter President

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call me: 818-414-1637 cell

The UN Millennium Development Goals are a commitment by the international community to build a better world. But it is action that is
needed, not just words. And at the present rate of progress, these noble goals will not be met by the 2015 deadline as promised. We need to waken the world's conscience again.

© Lucas Foglia

Faith groups have been in the forefront of winning public and political support for such ambitious action. They are also playing a major role in delivering progress on the ground. But with their global reach, they could even achieve more by acting together.

The Foundation will join with other partners to mobilise faith groups to step up pressure on Governments to deliver fully on their MDG commitments. It will also encourage the increased use of mosques, churches and other places of worship to ensure this funding transforms lives.

In particular, the Foundation will focus on the MDG goal of ending deaths from malaria. The disease kills over a million vulnerable people every year, mainly young children and women in Africa. It costs Africa over $12 billion a year in health costs and lost productivity, making poor countries even poorer. Worldwide, there are more than 350 million malaria infections each year. More than 1 million of these cases end in death; others scar their victims for life with permanent brain damage.

There is no reason for a million deaths a year from this disease. Malaria is preventable and treatable. The good news is we know that the distribution of bed nets and improved medical treatment and health education can slash this shameful death toll quickly and cost effectively.

© Lucas Foglia

There is no greater way in which we can demonstrate the good that faith groups can do than by coming together to end deaths from malaria. It is a great moral cause. And we want you to help us. The dream is to put every church and mosque in each African country ravaged by malaria in the front-line in battling the disease, distributing bed nets and as centres for health education.

The Foundation will work to raise funds to meet by 2010 the shortfall in the supply of bed nets identified by the UN Secretary-General - the biggest single step to cutting the death toll. But many more lives will be saved if children are tucked into their bed nets each night, the nets are kept impregnated, we train the local community to diagnose malaria early and drugs are available to treat it.

So the Foundation will partner faith groups to train local people to distribute the nets, teach how to use them properly and recognise the early signs of malaria. A volunteer programme for young people from Africa and beyond will be started to help.

We are working with our partners Malaria No More and Interfaith Youth Core to make this happen. And there is already some inspiring work happening on the ground.

We need your support and your commitment. Just as the mosquitoes don't distinguish between faiths in choosing their victims, neither can we in providing a solution. By working together, we can end the scourge of malaria deaths and take a huge step in lifting millions out of poverty. It is a goal within our grasp. All we need is the will. Get Involved!