[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 18 Referred in House (RFH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 18


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 23, 2009

              Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

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                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Supporting the goals and ideals of World Malaria Day, and reaffirming 
  United States leadership and support for efforts to combat malaria.

Whereas April 25 of each year is recognized internationally as World Malaria Day 
        and in the United States as Malaria Awareness Day;
Whereas despite malaria being completely preventable and treatable and the fact 
        that malaria was eliminated in the United States over 50 years ago, more 
        than 40 percent of the world's population is still at risk of 
        contracting malaria;
Whereas according to the World Health Organization, nearly 1,000,000 people die 
        from malaria each year, the vast majority of whom are children under the 
        age of 5 in Africa;
Whereas malaria greatly affects child health, with a child dying from malaria 
        roughly every 30 seconds and nearly 3,000 children dying from malaria 
        every day;
Whereas malaria poses great risks to maternal health, causing complications 
        during delivery, anemia, and low birth weights, with estimates by the 
        Center for Disease Control and Prevention that malaria infection causes 
        400,000 cases of severe maternal anemia and from 75,000 to 200,000 
        infant deaths annually in sub-Saharan Africa;
Whereas HIV infection increases the risk and severity of malarial illness, and 
        malaria increases the viral load in HIV-positive people, which can lead 
        to increased transmission of HIV and more rapid disease progression, 
        with substantial public health implications;
Whereas in malarial regions, many people are co-infected with malaria and one or 
        more of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) such as hookworm and 
        schistosomiasis, which causes a pronounced exacerbation of anemia and 
        several adverse health consequences;
Whereas the malnutrition and chronic illness that result from childhood malaria 
        leads to increased absenteeism in school and perpetuates cycles of 
        poverty;
Whereas an estimated 90 percent of deaths from malaria occur in Africa, and the 
        Roll Back Malaria Partnership estimates that malaria costs countries in 
        Africa $12,000,000,000 in lost economic productivity each year;
Whereas the World Health Organization estimates that malaria accounts for 40 
        percent of healthcare expenditures in high-burden countries, 
        demonstrating that effective, long-term malaria control is inextricably 
        linked to the strength of health systems;
Whereas heightened efforts over recent years to prevent and treat malaria are 
        currently saving lives;
Whereas the progress and funding to control malaria has increased ten-fold since 
        2000, in large part due to funding under the President's Malaria 
        Initiative (a United States Government initiative designed to cut 
        malaria deaths in half in target countries in sub-Saharan Africa), the 
        Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the World Bank, and 
        new financing by other donors;
Whereas the President's Malaria Initiative has purchased almost 13,000,000 
        artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACT), protected over 17,000,000 
        people through spraying campaigns, and distributed over 6,000,000 
        insecticide-treated bed nets, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, 
        Tuberculosis and Malaria has distributed 70,000,000 bed nets to protect 
        families from malaria and provided 74,000,000 malaria patients with 
        ACTs, and the World Bank's Booster Program is scheduled to commit 
        approximately $500,000,000 in International Development Association 
        funds for malaria control in Africa;
Whereas public and private partners are developing effective and affordable 
        drugs to treat malaria, with more than 23 types of malaria vaccines in 
        development;
Whereas according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vector 
        control, or the prevention of malaria transmission via anopheles 
        mosquitoes, which includes a combination of methods such as insecticide-
        treated bed nets, indoor residual spraying, and source reduction (larval 
        control), has been shown to reduce severe morbidity and mortality due to 
        malaria in endemic regions;
Whereas the impact of malaria efforts have been documented in numerous regions, 
        such as in Zanzibar, where malaria prevalence among children shrank from 
        20 percent to less than 1 percent between 2005 and 2007, and in Rwanda, 
        where malaria cases and deaths appeared to decline rapidly after a 
        large-scale distribution of bed nets and malaria treatments in 2006; and
Whereas a malaria-free future will rely on consistent international, national, 
        and local leadership and a comprehensive approach addressing the range 
        of health, development, and economic challenges facing developing 
        countries: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That the Senate--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of Malaria Awareness Day, 
        including the achievable target of ending malaria deaths by 
        2015;
            (2) calls upon the people of the United States to observe 
        Malaria Awareness Day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, 
        and activities to raise awareness and support to save the lives 
        of those affected by malaria;
            (3) reaffirms the goals and commitments to combat malaria 
        in the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global 
        Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria 
        Reauthorization Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-293);
            (4) commends the progress made by anti-malaria programs, 
        including the President's Malaria Initiative and the Global 
        Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria;
            (5) reaffirms United States support for and contribution 
        toward the achievement of the targets set by the Roll Back 
        Malaria Partnership Global Malaria Action plan;
            (6) encourages fellow donor nations to maintain their 
        support and honor their funding commitments for malaria 
        programs worldwide;
            (7) urges greater integration of United States and 
        international health programs targeting malaria, HIV/AIDS, 
        tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases, and basic child and 
        maternal health; and
            (8) commits to continued United States leadership in 
        efforts to reduce global malaria deaths, especially through 
        strengthening health care systems that can deliver effective, 
        safe, high-quality interventions when and where they are needed 
        and assure access to reliable health information and effective 
        disease surveillance.

            Passed the Senate April 22, 2009.

            Attest:

                                                NANCY ERICKSON,

                                                             Secretary.