[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 187 (Wednesday, December 7, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2197-E2198]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               FIGHTING MALARIA: PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 7, 2011

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Subcommittee on 
Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights, which I chair, held a hearing 
on malaria, one of the most serious health issues facing the developing 
world, and particularly Africa, today.
  For the last century, America has been a leader in the fight against 
malaria. While the United States and several other countries have been 
able to eliminate malaria, this deadly disease still presents a serious 
challenge to other parts of our world.
  The World Health Organization estimates that 781,000 people died from 
malaria in 2009 and that 225 million people suffered from infection. 
Malaria is the fifth leading cause of death from infectious diseases 
worldwide. It inflicts a particularly severe toll on the people of sub-
Saharan Africa, where ninety percent of deaths are caused by malaria. 
Moreover, approximately 85 percent of malaria deaths occur in children 
under 5 years of age. Every 45 seconds, a mother and father in Africa 
lose their child to malaria.
  There is also a far-reaching impact on the wealth and development of 
countries with endemic malaria. Africa may lose up to $12 billion in 
productivity due to malaria each year due to the disease, while the 
disease in turn consumes about 40 percent of Africa's public health 
expenditures. These numbers and statistics are staggering, but they 
have a greater impact when one has been to Africa and met the 
individuals who must live with the disease.
  Anyone who spends any meaningful amount of time in Africa and mingles 
with the African people will soon notice the prevalence of malaria. 
When you ask someone whether he or she has ever had malaria, they 
likely will respond not with a yes but with the time that has passed 
since they last suffered from it.
  More astounding than the sad reality that malaria is killing or 
harming so many millions of people is the reality that malaria is 
preventable and treatable. The world has the tools to prevent and treat 
malaria. No one in the twenty-first century should have to suffer from 
it, let alone die from it.
  When I last visited Uganda, I visited several homes, including a home 
in the remote region of Bushenyi. The three-room dwelling of white-
washed walls and dirt floors was practically empty, and this made the 
insecticide-treated mosquito net over the floor mats all the more 
striking. These nets may seem like insignificant items when listed on 
paper, but they are noticeably visible in the modest homes of those 
families who rely on them for protection from this ravaging disease.

[[Page E2198]]

  What began for the United States as an effort to protect our troops 
abroad and citizens here at home has become for us a larger global 
health objective.
  In the last decade we have seen a renewed commitment by the United 
States, international organizations, and private foundations to 
eliminate all malaria deaths. The effort received a notable boost in 
2007 when Bill and Melinda Gates renewed the challenge of worldwide 
malaria eradication.
  While much progress has been made in combating malaria, as we have 
seen from past eradication efforts, malaria can resurge when treatment 
becomes ineffective through drug resistance. While the global 
commitment remains to beat this disease, and to beat it as soon as 
possible, the stakes are too high to bet it all on doing so before the 
tools we have lose their impact.
  At yesterday's hearing the subcommittee received an update on the 
progress toward malaria elimination in the most endemic countries with 
a focus on the vitality and effectiveness of the treatment component. 
The hearing examined the future of anti-malarial drug and vaccine 
development, and challenges in ensuring an adequate supply of effective 
medicines. We also heard about the continued availability, 
affordability, and safe distribution of quality anti-malarial 
medicines.
  Our distinguished witnesses explored means for achieving the 
immediate goal of saving lives, and the ultimate goal of eradicating 
malaria from our world.

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