Congress should support President Bush’s efforts to expand U.S. assistance for malaria prevention and treatment in Africa, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) said today after attending the first-ever White House Summit on Malaria. 

    “Malaria is the number one killer of children and pregnant women in Africa. In its short time in existence, the President’s initiative has proven to reduce the number of deaths from malaria and I fully support his proposal to expand this successful program,” said Smith, Chairman of the House International Relations Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations.

    The President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) is a $1.2 billion, five-year program aimed at cutting the number of malaria cases in the African nations that are hardest hit by the fatal disease. Through the program, the U.S. provides bed nets to protect against mosquitoes during sleep; indoor insecticide spraying to kill malaria-carrying mosquitoes; and anti-malarial medicine. The program is currently in place in Uganda, Angola and Tanzania. 

    Smith had convened a comprehensive hearing specifically on how the U.S. can effectively implement proven malaria treatment and eradication methods in Africa in the 109th Congress.  He has also traveled to several African nations and said countries who are following the PMI model, like Uganda, are the most effective in malaria eradication and treatment.  

    “Malaria has largely been eradicated in the developed world. By helping impoverished countries employ this comprehensive eradication and treatment strategy, we can put them on the same course toward eliminating the disease,” said Smith.

    At the White House summit, President Bush proposed expanding the program to eight more countries—Ghana, Madagascar, Mali, Zambia, Kenya, Liberia, Ethiopia and Benin. The President already announced that Senegal, Malawi, Rwanda and Mozambique will all receive aid under the initiative.

    “Africa, as a continent, is facing Malaria on epidemic proportions. The significant results from this program point to the need to implement it in other countries on the continent that are struggling to contain the disease,” said Smith.

    Smith called on his colleagues in Congress to fully fund the initiative in the 110^th Congress. 

    “Bottom-line is expansion of this initiative will save more lives. That is something that we should all be able to get behind in Congress,” Smith said.