Every 60 seconds a child dies

[ProSense]

Every 60 seconds a child dies

by Denise Oliver Velez

From malaria. Some health agencies say every 45 or 30 seconds.

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So before you finish reading this, think how many children somewhere in the world have died simply because they didn't have a mosquito net.

The World Health Organization, along with a host of other organizations, monitors the disease and prevention efforts.

According to the World malaria report 2011, there were 216 million cases of malaria and an estimated 655 000 deaths in 2010. Malaria mortality rates have fallen by more than 25% globally since 2000, and by 33% in the WHO African Region. Most deaths occur among children living in Africa where a child dies every minute of malaria and the disease accounts for approximately 22% of all childhood deaths.

Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites. The parasites are spread to people through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes, called "malaria vectors", which bite mainly between dusk and dawn.

Who is at risk?

Approximately half of the world's population is at risk of malaria. Most malaria cases and deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa. However, Asia, Latin America, and to a lesser extent the Middle East and parts of Europe are also affected. In 2010, malaria was present in 106 countries and territories.

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Though I've worked on CDC health initiatives, I didn't know it was founded to combat malaria, until I saw this history. So we here in the U.S. don't have to worry about malaria at home. As citizens of the world, we should be concerned about it globally. I'm tired of listening to right-wing plaints about why the United States should bother to spend our tax dollars on saving lives elsewhere. There are Republican candidates currently mouthing this kind of isolationist rhetoric. Even given the economic stresses here at home, as one of the wealthiest nations in the world, we can do more to help. Republicans have spouted off about this during the recent primary debates.

On our side of the fence, in 2011 President Obama increased the U.S. monetary commitment to fighting malaria, though more is needed. He has continued support for PMI: President's Malaria Initiative. He made this statement on World Malaria Day in 2009:

The United States stands with our global partners and people around the world to reaffirm our commitment to make the U.S. a leader in ending deaths from malaria by 2015.

This begins with ending malaria as a major public health threat in Africa, where it kills nearly one million people each year, and overwhelms public health systems. It is time to redouble our efforts to rid the world of a disease that does not have to take lives.
Together, we have made great strides in addressing this preventable and treatable disease. Across Africa, children and their families are sleeping under bed nets; local groups are working with pregnant women and mothers so that anti-malarial drugs are available for them and for their sick children. In schools and villages, community centers and places of worship, clinics and hospitals, optimism is growing that we can and we will succeed in our ambitious goals.

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http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/01/08/1051969/-Every-60-seconds-a-child-dies

[abelenkpe]

1. K & R please read. Nt

[treestar]

2. Sounds like a disease that could be wiped out.

[Arkansas Granny]

3. You're right. Until a few generations ago, malaria was a big health problem in the U.S.

You can find a lot of info at this site: http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/history/elimination_us.html