World Malaria Day

April 22, 2009

Mr. Patrick Brown (Barrie, CPC):
    Mr. Speaker, April 25 marks World Malaria Day. I rise today in the House to encourage my colleagues to focus their attention on eradicating this disease.

    Members should consider these statistics: Every 30 seconds a child dies of malaria in Africa. Malaria kills more than one million and infects between 350 million and 500 million lives a year. Adding to this human devastation and loss caused by malaria, the economic cost of this disease to Africa is estimated at a staggering $12 billion. This is totally unacceptable. Malaria is entirely preventable and treatable so action must be taken.

    Sleeping under a simple bed net is the most efficient way to fight the spread of this disease. One bed net can protect up to five sleeping children for up to five years. In countries such as Ethiopia, long-lasting nets are credited with reducing deaths and infections from malaria by 50%.

    We are rapidly approaching World Malaria Day. I would encourage every member of Parliament to think about those suffering with, and exposed to, malaria.

    In Barrie we will be having a town hall on Saturday.