IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 103 

Supporting the goals and ideals of Malaria Awareness Day. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 21, 2009 

Mr. PAYNE (for himself, Mr. BOOZMAN, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. RANGEL, 

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Ms. WATSON, Mr. RUSH, Ms. CORRINE

BROWN of Florida, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. ENGEL, and Ms. 

EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas) submitted the following concurrent 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals and ideals of Malaria Awareness Day. 

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; 


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•HCON 103 IH 

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 HIVpositive 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; 


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•HCON 103 IH 

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; 


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•HCON 103 IH 

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 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) supports the goals and ideals of Malaria 

4 Awareness Day, including the achievable target of 

5 ending malaria deaths by 2015; 

6 (2) calls upon the people of the United States 

7 to observe this day with appropriate programs, cere8 monies, and activities to raise awareness and sup9 port to save the lives of those affected by malaria; 

10 (3) reaffirms the goals and commitments to 

11 combat malaria outlined in the Tom Lantos and 

12 Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership 

13 Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Re14 authorization Act of 2008; 

15 (4) commends the progress made during the 

16 last year by anti-malaria programs including the 


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•HCON 103 IH 

1 President’s Malaria Initiative and the Global Fund 

2 to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; 

3 (5) reaffirms United States support for and 

4 contribution toward the achievement of the targets 

5 set by the Roll Back Malaria Partnership Global 

6 Malaria Action Plan; 

7 (6) encourages fellow donor nations to maintain 

8 their support and honor their funding commitments 

9 for Malaria programs worldwide; 

10 (7) urges greater integration of United States 

11 and international health programs targeting malaria, 

12 HIV, Tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases, and 

13 basic child and maternal health; and 

14 (8) commits to continued United States leader15 ship in efforts to reduce global malaria deaths, espe16 cially through strengthening health care systems 

17 that can deliver effective, safe, high-quality interven18 tions when and where they are needed, and assure 

19 access to reliable health information and effective 

20 disease surveillance. 

Æ 


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