In honor of World Malaria Day today, U.S. Senator Russ Feingold-(D) -WISCONSIN, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, made the following statement in which he urged Senate leadership to quickly take up legislation to provide resources to combat the disease in Africa where 85% of the world’s malaria deaths occur.

“The U.S. and international efforts to combat malaria, an often invisible killer, are critical in the fight against a disease we deal with infrequently here in the United States. Malaria is no longer perceived as a threat to us –

particularly when compared with the devastation wrought by HIV or cancer — but in sub-Saharan Africa or Asia, malaria is anything but invisible. In these parts of the world, a child dies of malaria every thirty seconds.

Although malaria threatens 40% of the world’s population, and infects four to five hundred million people every year, nearly 60% of these infections occur in sub-Saharan Africa, with most of the remaining cases in Asia. Another factor that distinguishes malaria from afflictions like HIV or cancer is that it is both preventable and curable through relatively low-cost interventions. The fact that more than one million people die of malaria annually – mostly women and young children, and over 85% of them in Africa – is therefore a compelling call to action.

In 2001, political leaders from forty-four of the fifty malaria-affected countries in Africa established April 25th as Africa Malaria Day to reflect their commitment to rolling back the incidence of malaria in their countries. Today, the United States and the rest of the international community assert our determination to join them in this effort, by recognizing the first-ever World Malaria Day. In communities around the globe, governments, non-profit organizations, and individuals are raising awareness and resources to protect the most vulnerable populations from this preventable and curable disease. I applaud and encourage these efforts.

I am extremely proud of the United States’ leadership in combating malaria. In June 2005, President Bush launched the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), with a goal of reducing malaria deaths by half in 15 African countries and challenged other donor countries, private foundations, and corporations to help reduce the suffering and death caused by this disease. My colleagues and I have appropriated more than $400 million for the PMI to date, and are currently considering legislation that will formally establish this program by authorizing strategic plans, partnerships with affected countries and dedicated resources – up to $5 billion – over the next five years. I urge the Senate leadership to move quickly to bring the Hyde Lantos U.S. Leadership against AIDS, TB and Malaria Act of 2008 to the floor so that these life-saving interventions can continue uninterrupted and serve as inspiration for other public and private donors to take up this cause.”

SAVE MY SOUL / STOP THE BITE MALARIA DAY EVENT

The University of Southern California, School of Policy, Planning and Development, along with the Marshall School of Business Net Impact Organization and the Stop the Bite Campaign hosted the first ever world malaria day, Friday April 25th, 2008. Students and professionals joined together to learn what they could do to make a difference in malaria awareness and prevention. Aliyah Levin, USC MPA Candidate and director of the Stop the Bite Campaign spoke about malaria, previous malaria eradication efforts and current prevention campaigns. Attendees purchased a copy of Save My Soul – Music to Prevent Malaria and the money was donated to “Against Malaria.”

EBAY AUCTION UPDATE

Additionally, our charity auction on Ebay for the album was successful with a total of 16 bids! 100% of the proceeds were directed to Malaria No More.

Please visit our latest Ebay auction.  We are selling another copy of Save My Soul CD – with proceeds going to procure and distribute more mosquito nets on the winner’s behalf!

Throughout the entire world, organizations are partaking in the first ever World Malaria Day. We are conducting a lunch workshop at the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business. Please R.S.V.P. right now and enjoy a free lunch during this awareness campaign!

Right now I urge you to donate as much as you can to fighting malaria. You can sponsor Save My Soul – Music to Prevent Malaria by donating right now directly to purchase mosquito nets. When you donate directly, 100% of your donation goes towards purchasing mosquito nets. What’s even more exciting? You can track exactly where your nets are distributed! Please donate right now. Something as simple as a $5 donation can help protect a mother and her children under a mosquito net for up to 6 years! We are aligned with Against Malaria to purchase mosquito nets, the group has already raised nearly 3 million dollars, help us reach 3 million dollars today.

Please also take time to check out our brand new list, 101 Ways to Prevent Malaria. And if you haven’t taken the time to purchase the album, please purchase it now!

Please take action to help raise awareness about malaria today.

We recently created this video to encourage YouTube viewers to start thinking about malaria. Please help us get this video out further by sharing it with your friends or using your webcam to post a response on YouTube.

APRIL 25, 2008 is the First Every World Malaria Day!

Have you visited our MySpace page yet?

First you are tested to make sure you are healthy.  One might question whether anyone living in Seattle is healthy in the first place.   If you are healthy then they crack out the malaria vaccine needle.  Next, you are bitten by several mosquitoes that actually have malaria.   Then you pray it works so you can live to receive your $4,000.                     

The Human Challenge Center will provide the high level of care required to ensure the safety of volunteers, in accordance with protocols approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.        

“This center will allow us to greatly increase our ability to evaluate whether a new vaccine formulation should advance to testing in clinical trials in malaria-endemic populations,” said MVI Director Christian Loucq, MD.                    

“We’re particularly excited by the center’s location in Seattle, a community where many people have an interest in global health issues and, as a result, are willing to volunteer for such an important cause—to help save the lives of young children in some of the world’s poorest countries.”          

2 Billion People are Vunerable to Malaria based on MAP Project

According to Dagi Kimani from AllAfrica.com, “the disease could actually be eradicated through concerted interventions such as the use of bednets.”

RTS-S Vaccine by Glaxo SmithKline –

Promising

According to Scienceline.com’s Natalie Peretsmen, “Clinical trials in Mozambique have shown that a malaria vaccine is safe and effective for infants, who are particularly sensitive to the disease.”

“As the vaccine moves into its final trial stage, it joins an array of strategies aimed at finally eradicating malaria worldwide.”

Peretsmen said. The drug is slated to begin testing in wider trial groups at the end of 2008. The drug reduced incidences of malaria by 65% in infants.

More Malaria Links from Friends of the Save My Soul CD Project:

Against Malaria Foundation:  http://www.againstmalaria.com

Madness Against Malaria: http://www.madnessagainstmalaria.com

MFI Blue Ribbon Campaign: http://www.AgainstMalaria.com/MFIBlueRibbon

The compact disc Save My Soul – Music to Prevent Malaria has only been released for a month and we have already raised enough money to save more than 100 lives.   This is an amazing first step.   Our next major goal is to save 1,000 lives.   After that, 100,000 lives.  Together with your help, we will get there.   Help spread the word about our album now.  Visit our website and share our hyperlinks with your friends. http://www.savemysoulcd.com

MALARIA CD ON KAOS – FM – SPIN THE GLOBE

Save My Soul – Music to Prevent Malaria has found a new place in the library of jocks at KAOS 89.3 – FM Radio according to the stations music director.   The album can be heard on Fridays with host Scott Stevens between 10 AM and Noon PST.

Click here and listen live to KAOS – FM

TANZANIA NET FACTORY – NEW NETS LAST 5 YEARS+

A reader of one of my newsletters questioned me about the efficacy of mosquito nets in combating malaria.  He was stunned when I explained the CDC has reported that the use of mosquito nets reduces the risk of death by 20%!   He was also concerned about how long can a mosquito net actually last.  I explained that he would be surprised.  Some mosquito nets are defined by the acronym LLIN which means “Long Lasting Insecticide treated Nets.”   I told him LLINs can last more than five years!

For example, Olyset® Nets launched a new factory in Tanzania.  This week I had the chance to talk to Lisa Goldman from Sumitomo Chemical, creators of this life saving technology. For you music fans out there, Sumitomo was the principal sponsor of the Africa Live concert series.

These LLINs employ a unique technology that slowly releases insecticides from within the fibers of the net continuously for periods lasting more than five years (even when the nets have been washed).

The new factory was created in partnership with local companies.  The whole operation involves more than 3,200 people in Tanzania and will create significant employment opportunities for the area.  

U.S. President George Bush recently visited the factory on his tour of Africa.   The company explains that the new factor will help bring worldwide annual production of mosquito nets up to 30 million.

INDIA – BSF MORE AFRAID OF MOSQUITOES THAN MILITIAS

Border Security Forces (BSF) in Shillong whose lives are constantly in danger from militants carrying automatic assault weapons and rampaging elephants, say that they are in greater fear of mosquitoes.

According to the Calcutta Telegraph, “[i]t is the killer mosquitoes famed for spreading malaria that has the BSF personnel stuffing their backpacks with tablets and mosquito nets.” 

The BSF arm themselves with cans of DDT and face-masks that are treated with insecticides.  However, there are increasing reports that mosquitoes are becoming immune to the insecticides.

MALARIA ATLAS PROJECT (MAP)

The last major effort to map the malaria endemic was nearly 50 years ago.  The Center for Geographic Medicine and Oxford have teamed together to create new models that spatially define the spread of malaria.   The organization has just released new data.

To view these incredible maps, first you must download and install Google Earth (Free).

Next, visit MAP’s website,click on the various downloads available, and see malaria from a whole new perspective.

Only about 19% of Americans approve of Bush’s overall performance as president of the United States. Yet the president’s recent visit to Africa has stirred up a lot of media coverage about the troubled continent.

Monkey in the Jungle

Sub-Saharan Africa doesn’t have too much time to worry about things such as Iran’s thirst for nuclear weapons. Although surprisingly the belief in terrorist threats is significant throughout the country of Zambia.While we shot our documentary, Devil’s Cataract (to be released this summer), we were stopped outside of a secret military building in Lusaka. We were detained by several military and secret police officers. We were held for more than 3 hours and were told they feared we may be terrorists. However, we were only armed with a Nikon, a digital memory stick, and a macro lens. The military officers demanded we turn over our film. They simply did not understand the nature of digital memory sticks. Their suspicion grew. We tried to show them previews of our images – mainly children suffering from malaria and macro pictures of vegetation. An officer lectured us about the military’s fear of terrorism. I’m not quite sure how bad terrorism is inLusaka but the fear certainly existed. Eventually we were let go and convinced them to let us keep our 2GB of memory (an abstract concept for the secret police?).Cab drivers throughout the region explained to us that they felt positively about Bush and the war on terror. Most people we spoke to perceived terrorism to be a large threat and were aligned with the American president’s politics.In part, Africans may be well aligned with Bush because during his presidency the United States has given billions of dollars in aid to help prevent disease such as malaria and AIDS.Malaria kills more than 3,000 children each day.During our filming in Africa last August, Bill Clinton and Laura Bush were visiting Lusaka, Zambia to help raise awareness about issues such as extreme poverty and malaria. Laura Bush donated several bicycles to help improve transportation. Clinton spoke about his foundations efforts to reduce disease and improve the economicsituation of Sub-Saharan countries. Both Clinton and Laura Bush were extremely popular during their visit.

Hopefully the next president will be able to maintain the positive relationship among the US and Sub-Saharan countries. I’m optimistic.

-ed lyman

MALARIA – UPDATE ON SAVE MY SOUL CD

Thank you so much for signing up for our blog. We have raised a lot of attention for this cd in only two weeks since its release!
My goal is to help save 100,000 lives from malaria and with you we can do it together.
I need your help telling your friends about the cd and the website.
Please watch our malaria video if you haven’t had a chance to.

Please share this video with your friends, have them watch it so that our youtube rankings can improve.

Also, please inform your friends and family members about our website: http://www.savemysoulcd.com
We have absolutely no money for marketing and are relying on word of mouth and volunteers to lift this
project off the ground. It will take time, but we will save 100,000 lives with this album.

Please link us on your websites by adding this simple link as seen below.

Malaria kills 3,000 Children every day. Save My Soul – Music to Prevent Malaria. Buy the album and save 2 lives right now.

Just cut and paste the text from within this box and add it to your myspace, facebook, and personal
websites or post it in forums for us. This is an easy way you can help spread the word about our project
and more importantly, about malaria.

Make sure to tell your friends to sign-up for our weekly newsletter by going to http://www.savemysoulcd.com
and making the pledge to combat malaria!

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for signing up for our blog. We have raised a lot of attention for this cd in only two weeks since its release!

My goal is to help save 100,000 lives from malaria and with you we can do it together.

I need your help telling your friends about the cd and the website.

Please watch our malaria video if you haven’t had a chance to.