On World Malaria Day, Senior Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Co-chairs of the House Caucus on Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD), Congressmen Chris Smith (NJ-04) and Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05) released the following statement:
“While global Malaria cases have fallen since 2010—thanks in large part to the President’s Malaria Initiative begun by President George W. Bush—the number of cases actually rose from 2015 to 2016 to 216 million, according to World Health Organization—an unconscionably high figure,” said Rep. Smith, co-chair of the Congressional Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases Caucus. “Furthermore, U.S. investment in the global fight against malaria is currently not what it needs to be. If we don’t redouble our efforts to one day eradicate this killer disease, we could see so much good work over the past decade go to waste. I stand with my colleague Congressman Gregory W. Meeks in resolve to rid the world of this terrible disease.”
“I am proud that the United States and its Congress are continuing our commitment to the children and their parents who find themselves at risk of contracting malaria. Despite our efforts, 445,000 people, mostly children, died from malaria in the last year alone. I am calling on my colleagues in Congress to redouble our anti-malarial efforts,” said Congressman Gregory W. Meeks. “Putting an end to malaria, one of the deadliest diseases in history, would be a monumental human achievement and it is indeed attainable, so long as we truly dedicate ourselves to that goal. I thank my House Caucus on Malaria and NTD Co-Chair Chris Smith for remaining steadfast in our shared pursuit to eradicate malaria once and for all.”
American anti-malarial efforts, through the President’s Malaria Initiative and the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis, and Malaria have saved millions of lives. Since 2000, the number of annual Malaria deaths has fallen by almost half and an estimated billion cases of malaria have been averted. Each dollar spent fighting malaria generates $36 in economic activity.
