[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 67 (Monday, May 4, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H5077-H5079]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF MALARIA AWARENESS DAY

  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 103) supporting the goals and 
ideals of Malaria Awareness Day, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 103

       Whereas April 25 of each year is recognized internationally 
     as Africa 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 from 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, roughly every 
     30 seconds a child dies from malaria, and more than 3,000 
     children die 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, such as hookworm and schistosomiasis, which causes 
     a pronounced exacerbation of anemia and several adverse 
     health consequences;
       Whereas the malnutrition and consequent 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 African countries 
     $12,000,000,000 in lost economic productivity each year;
       Whereas the World Health Organization estimates that 
     malaria accounts for 40 percent of health care 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 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 7,000,000 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 House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (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 
     this 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 
     outlined in the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States 
     Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria 
     Reauthorization Act of 2008;
       (4) commends the progress made during the last year by 
     anti-malaria programs including the President's Malaria 
     Initiative and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis 
     and Malaria;
       (5) recognizes the work of the Roll Back Malaria 
     Partnership and affirms United States support for and 
     contribution toward the achievement of the following targets:
       (A) Achieve universal coverage for all populations at risk 
     with locally appropriate interventions for prevention and 
     case management by 2010 and sustain universal coverage until 
     local field research suggests that coverage can gradually be 
     targeted to high-risk areas and seasons only, without risk of 
     a generalized resurgence.
       (B) Reduce global malaria cases from 2000 levels by 50 
     percent in 2010 and by 75 percent in 2015.
       (C) End malaria deaths by 2015.
       (6) encourages fellow donor nations to maintain their 
     support and honor their funding commitments for Malaria 
     programs worldwide;
       (7) urges greater integration between United States and 
     international health programs that target malaria, HIV, 
     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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Payne) and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
to include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, H. Con. 
Res. 103, supporting the goals and ideals of Malaria Awareness Day.
  April 25 of each year is recognized internationally as Africa Malaria 
Day and in the United States as Malaria Awareness Day.
  I introduced this resolution with my colleague and Congressional 
Malaria Caucus co-Chair, Congressman John Boozman of Arkansas, a true 
partner in the fight against malaria and so many other good causes, and 
I would like to thank him for his partnership and his continued 
commitment to ending malaria, and to so many other important issues 
pertaining to Africa.
  We introduced this resolution to remind the Congress, the country, 
and the world that malaria is preventable and is treatable.
  Malaria was eliminated from the United States over 50 years ago, yet 
more than 40 percent of the world's population is still at risk of 
contracting this disease. The World Health Organization reports that 
malaria claims the lives of nearly 1 million people each year, the vast 
majority of whom are children under the age of 5 in Africa.

[[Page H5078]]

  I ask you to reflect on the statistics: malaria takes the life of a 
child roughly every 30 seconds. This is simply astounding and 
unconscionable in 2009. Malaria also causes a great risk to maternal 
health, causing complications during delivery, anemia, and low birth 
weight, with estimates by the Centers 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.
  An estimated 90 percent of the deaths from malaria occur in Africa. 
Malaria also perpetuates poverty. The Roll Back Malaria Partnership 
estimates that malaria costs African countries $12 billion annually in 
lost economic productivity.
  The malaria burden also weakens governments' abilities to provide 
services. The World Health Organization estimates that malaria accounts 
for 40 percent of health care expenditures in high-burden countries, 
demonstrating that effective, long-term malaria control is inextricably 
linked to the strength of the health systems.
  However, there is good news. Heightened efforts by our own government 
and by other partner nations have made significant progress in the 
fight against malaria.
  The President's Malaria Initiative has purchased almost 13 million 
artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACT), which will protect over 
17 million people through spraying campaigns, and has distributed over 
6 million insecticide-treated bed nets.

                              {time}  1500

  The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has 
distributed 7 million bed nets to protect families from malaria and 
provided 74 million malaria patients with ACTs. As the World Bank's 
booster program is scheduled to commit more than $500 million in 
International Development Association funds for malaria, this will help 
to move forward the control of malaria; approximately $500 million by 
the International Development Association.
  Public and private partnerships are developing effective and 
affordable drugs to treat malaria, with more than 23 types of malaria 
vaccines in development. Years ago, there were virtually no vaccines in 
development. And so we have seen that the world has taken a real look 
at this dread disease and we are moving forward to its elimination.
  This resolution calls our attention to Malaria Awareness Day which 
the Congressional Malaria Caucus marked by holding briefings, a 
roundtable with African health officials, and will conclude with 
Special Orders this evening. The resolution also reaffirms the goals 
and commitments to combat malaria outlined in the Tom Lantos and Henry 
J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, 
and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008 which provided critical 
funding, $6 billion, to fight malaria and tuberculosis.
  Let us remain committed to ending malaria for the health and wealth 
of the entire world. I strongly support this resolution and I urge my 
colleagues to do likewise.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  As co-Chair with Chairman Payne of the Congressional Malaria Caucus 
and an original cosponsor of this resolution brought forth by Chairman 
Payne, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 103, which supports the goals 
and ideals of Malaria Awareness Day.
  It is widely known that malaria was eradicated in the United States 
more than a half century ago. Less known is the fact that malaria still 
affects as many as half a billion people in 109 countries in Africa, 
Asia and Latin America, and that malaria kills approximately 1 million 
to 3 million people per year.
  Africa has been particularly hard hit. Ninety percent of all malaria 
deaths occur in Africa. It is the leading cause of death of children 
under the age of 5, claiming the lives of an estimated 3,000 African 
children per day. And because even mild cases of malaria can be 
debilitating, many businesses have been forced to hire two or more 
employees to fill a single position due to absenteeism. It is estimated 
that Africa loses $12 billion in productivity each year--all because of 
a wretched mosquito. But with the commitment of host countries and 
generous donor support--including through the President's Malaria 
Initiative; the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; 
the World Bank; private donors and nongovernmental organizations, 
including Malaria No More--we are starting to see the light at the end 
of the tunnel.
  Mass distributions of mosquito nets, indoor residual spraying, and 
the development and distribution of safe, effective and inexpensive 
drugs to treat malaria have yielded sharp declines in malaria-related 
deaths in a number of African countries. According to U.S. Malaria 
Coordinator, Admiral Tim Ziemer, ``These efforts are bringing newfound 
hope that malaria is not an intractable problem and giving children a 
fighting chance to improve their quality of life and build better 
futures.''
  But we still have a long way to go.
  Malaria Day serves as a call to arms--a day to mobilize resources and 
recommit ourselves to the fight against this preventable disease. It 
reminds us that with the steadfast commitment of donors, host 
governments, local leaders and the countless heroes who are fighting to 
roll back this scourge on the ground each and every day, we may live to 
see the elimination of malaria from the developing world.
  I thank the sponsor, and my fellow co-Chair of the House Malaria 
Caucus, Mr. Payne, for introducing this important measure and for 
agreeing to modest, though critically important changes which enabled 
us to move the resolution directly to the House floor today. I 
appreciate the chairman's hard work and leadership combating this 
disease but also for his chairmanship of the Africa Subcommittee of the 
Foreign Affairs Committee.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PAYNE. At this time I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega).
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. I thank the gentleman for yielding and for this 
opportunity to speak out in full support of this proposed legislation. 
Not only am I a cosponsor but I want to commend especially my colleague 
and friend, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on 
Africa and Global Health.
  Mr. Speaker, this issue is serious. Forty percent of the world's 
population, some 6 billion people living in this world, are still 
impacted and affected by this serious disease--malaria. On top of that, 
some 800 million people living on the continent of Africa, 90 percent 
of the people living in Africa, are also affected by this serious 
disease.
  I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey for his initiative and 
leadership in proposing this legislation and sincerely hope that in our 
efforts in working through the authorizing committees that we will 
build on what the gentleman, the chairman of our subcommittee, has done 
to bring to the attention of our colleagues and to the American people 
the importance of what we need to do as a country to help get rid of 
this serious disease.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. PAYNE. I yield the gentleman 30 additional seconds.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. I want to commend my good friend from New Jersey 
for working quietly and patiently but with tremendous effort in working 
with our colleagues in addressing the serious problems of malaria.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I want to again thank my good friend from New 
Jersey for his leadership and for the work that he has done in trying 
to get rid of this dreaded disease.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. 
Con. Res. 103, ``Supporting the goals and ideals of Malaria Awareness 
Day'' and I would like to thank my colleague Representative Payne for 
introducing this resolution.
  Every year, April 25 is recognized internationally as Africa Malaria 
Day and in the United States as Malaria Awareness Day. Although, 
malaria is a completely preventable and treatable disease which was 
eliminated from the United States over 50 years ago, more than 40 
percent of the world's population is still at risk of contracting 
malaria. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 1,000,000 
people die from malaria each year,

[[Page H5079]]

the vast majority of whom are children under the age of 5 in Africa. I 
feel that the target of ending malaria deaths by 2015 is an achievable 
goal that the United States must aid in accomplishing.
  As chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, this resolution is 
important to me because roughly every 30 seconds a child dies from 
malaria, and more than 3,000 children die from malaria every day. The 
malnutrition and consequent chronic illness that result from childhood 
malaria leads to increased absenteeism in school and perpetuates cycles 
of poverty. In addition to threatening the lives of children this 
disease also takes a great toll on women as well. 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.
  An estimated 90 percent of deaths from malaria occur in Africa and 
the Roll Back Malaria Partnership estimates that malaria costs African 
countries $12,000,000,000 in lost economic productivity each year. The 
World Health Organization estimates that malaria accounts for 40 
percent of health care expenditures in high-burden countries, 
demonstrating that effective, long-term malaria control is inextricably 
linked to the strength of health systems.
  Fortunately, the heightened efforts over recent years to prevent and 
treat malaria are currently saving lives. 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 U.S. 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. 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 7,000,000 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.
  At the moment, public and private partners are developing effective 
and affordable drugs to treat malaria, with more than 23 types of 
malaria vaccines in development. 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. 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.
  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. It is important that this Congress commits to continued 
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.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PAYNE. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 103, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution, as amended, was 
agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________