[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 68 (Thursday, April 26, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S2492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 489--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF WORLD MALARIA 
                                  DAY

  Mr. WICKER (for himself, Mr. Coons, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Boozman, Mr. 
Brown, and Mr. Durbin) submitted the following resolution; which was 
considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 489

       Whereas April 25 of each year is recognized internationally 
     as World Malaria Day;
       Whereas malaria is a leading cause of death and disease in 
     many developing countries, despite being preventable and 
     treatable;
       Whereas fighting malaria is in the national interest of the 
     United States because reducing the risk of malaria protects 
     members of the Armed Forces and other people of the United 
     States serving overseas in malaria-endemic regions, and 
     reducing malaria deaths helps to lower risks of instability 
     in less developed countries;
       Whereas United States support for efforts to fight 
     malaria--
       (1) is in the diplomatic and moral interests of the United 
     States;
       (2) generates goodwill toward the United States; and
       (3) highlights the values of the people of the United 
     States through the work of governmental, nongovernmental, and 
     faith-based organizations of the United States;
       Whereas, in 2016, 91 countries and areas had ongoing 
     malaria transmissions;
       Whereas nearly \1/2\ of the population of the world is at 
     risk for malaria, with sub-Saharan Africa carrying a 
     disproportionately high burden, with 80 percent of malaria 
     cases and 91 percent of malaria deaths in the world;
       Whereas young children and pregnant women are particularly 
     vulnerable to, and disproportionately affected by, malaria;
       Whereas malaria greatly affects the health of children, 
     since children under the age of 5 account for an estimated 70 
     percent of malaria deaths each year;
       Whereas the World Malaria Report 2017 by the World Health 
     Organization states that, in 2016, approximately 445,000 
     people died of malaria, which is a 50-percent decrease since 
     2000;
       Whereas the United States Government has played a leading 
     role in the recent progress made toward reducing the global 
     burden of malaria, particularly through the President's 
     Malaria Initiative and the contribution of the United States 
     to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria; 
     and
       Whereas the United States Government is pursuing a 
     comprehensive approach to ending malaria deaths through the 
     President's Malaria Initiative, which is led by the United 
     States Agency for International Development and implemented 
     with assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention, the Department of State, the Department of Health 
     and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, the 
     Department of Defense, and private sector entities: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of World Malaria Day;
       (2) recognizes the importance of reducing malaria 
     prevalence and deaths to improve overall child and maternal 
     health, especially in sub-Saharan Africa;
       (3) commends the recent progress made toward reducing 
     global malaria morbidity, mortality, and prevalence, 
     particularly through the efforts of the President's Malaria 
     Initiative and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, 
     and Malaria;
       (4) welcomes ongoing public-private partnerships to 
     research and develop more effective and affordable tools for 
     malaria diagnosis, treatment, and vaccination;
       (5) recognizes the goals, priorities, and authorities to 
     combat malaria set forth 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; 122 Stat. 2918);
       (6) supports continued leadership by the United States in 
     bilateral, multilateral, and private sector efforts to combat 
     malaria and to work with developing countries to create long-
     term strategies to increase ownership over malaria programs; 
     and
       (7) encourages other members of the international community 
     to sustain and increase their support for, and financial 
     contributions to, efforts to combat malaria worldwide.

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