[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 29, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E791]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   RECOGNITION OF AFRICA MALARIA DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DONALD M. PAYNE

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 29, 2003

  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I stand today to recognize Africa Malaria 
Day, declared on April 25, 2000 by 43 African heads of state. That 
declaration marked the end of a 3-day summit called to renew and re-
invigorate Africa's commitment to defeating malaria, a disease that 
takes a terrible toll on the African continent. It renewed a commitment 
to exploit all means possible to finally tame the disease that kills 
more African children than any other single disease. It recognized the 
massive impact of malaria and Africa's potential for reducing that 
impact. It affirmed African leaders' intent to remove roadblocks to 
malaria control and called for more active participation by the 
international community.
  UNICEF and the World Health Organization estimate that malaria kills 
from 1 million to 2 million people every year, most of them young 
children and pregnant women in Africa. Along with HIV/AIDS and 
tuberculosis, malaria is one of the three biggest infectious disease 
killers in the world today.
  There has never been a licensed malaria vaccine, but great progress 
toward that end is now being made. However, the market for a malaria 
vaccine is primarily poor people in developing countries. This means 
that market forces requiring an acceptable return on investment by 
industry cannot, by themselves, drive malaria vaccine development. 
Ensuring the successful development of a vaccine for a disease that 
primarily affects the poorest people in the world requires public 
funding for research and development and funding for vaccine purchase 
once malaria vaccines are licensed.
  Global and national efforts are making a difference. Lives are being 
saved, and the movement to finally control malaria in Africa is picking 
up momentum. Evidence of this includes the increasing level of support 
for malaria control by the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and 
Malaria. But more and broader support is needed to achieve the goal of 
ending deaths from malaria in the shortest time possible. For each year 
we delay, another one to two million lives are lost.
  Friday, April 25, 2003, was Africa Malaria Day. On that day, the 
equivalent of seven large planeloads of children died from malaria. 
Most of these children were under the age of 5. While this fact deeply 
saddens me, it also impassions me. We can and must ensure that more is 
done to prevent more deaths, today, tomorrow, and into the future.

                          ____________________