Russell Brown thanks Dumfries and Galloway for supporting UK action, helping save 1600 lives every day from malaria
9th April 2014: To mark World Health Day, Russell Brown, Labour MP for Dumfries and Galloway, got involved in Getting Malaria? This experiential event inspired, engaged and thanked supporters of all political parties for backing UK action to fight malaria. It gave Russell Brown an opportunity to find out more about the transformational difference being made to millions of people around the world thanks to UK leadership and increased global action to save lives from malaria, one of the world’s most deadly yet preventable diseases.
Russell Brown was one of over 30 MPs and Peers in attendance at the event, hosted by charity Malaria No More UK and the All Party Parliamentary Group for Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases at Portcullis House in Westminster in the build-up to World Malaria Day on 25th April.
Russell Brown thanked his constituency and promoted the good news message that UK action against malaria has helped drive and outstanding global effort, now saving over 1600 lives every day from malaria.
The UK is a global leader in the malaria campaign through both its support for action on the ground and as a global pioneer of lifesaving solutions through leading research and development institutions and businesses. Strong UK support is continuing to drive progress towards the UK’s goal of helping at least halve deaths from malaria in 10 or more of the worst affected countries by 2015.
Russell says: “Malaria costs lives but also impedes children’ access to education. In some parts of Africa, the disease is responsible for up to half of all preventable school absenteeism. This is all the more tragic, as the disease is preventable. I hope people across Dumfries and Galloway will be encouraged to know what a difference UK aid is making in helping to bring down malaria. As we save lives, we are also helping remove this barrier to children being able to gain an education and have the chance to fulfil their potential”.
The UK’s support has helped underpin recent global success in the malaria campaign with child death rates from malaria halved since 2000 and over three million children’s lives saved – that’s more than the population of the entire West Midlands. But malaria can bounce back hard and fast if efforts to fight it are not maintained. The UK has a vital role to play in continuing to drive forward progress against malaria, helping to sustain international political will and financial commitments to save lives and protect against the threat of malaria resurgence.
Malaria No More UK helps inspire UK public, political and private sector support for the fight against malaria. Executive Director James Whiting, says: “We were delighted to welcome Russell Brown. His support and the backing of people across Dumfries and Galloway and beyond is making a tangible difference to millions of lives today. We passionately believe that no child anywhere should die from a preventable disease that costs less than a cup of tea to treat. I hope people across Dumfries and Galloway will be inspired to join our campaign to be the generation to end deaths from malaria”.
The event was hosted by Sky News Anchor and malaria survivor Lukwesa Burak who encouraged guests to get involved in a series of malaria moments on offer. Russell Brown was given the opportunity to:
· Test his appeal to live mosquitoes by placing his hand on the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine’s Live Mosquito Box to see if the mosquitoes responded to his scent. This is a part of the London School’s research to deepen understanding about mosquitoes and how to prevent malaria.
· Shape the future of the malaria fight at Malaria: The Future using Imperial College’s sophisticated modelling tools to show the effect that varying levels of global funding and their allocation could have on the malaria fight.
· Compare the difference in test results between pre-screened safe blood and blood infected with malaria at the Malaria Testing Clinic.
· Speak with health professionals at the Malaria Awareness Centre. An opportunity to hear essential travel advice about staying safe overseas. Last year over 1,300 Brits returned to the UK having contracted malaria.
· Get involved and help fight poverty at the Malaria and Poverty area, by signing up to Live Below the Line – the innovative anti-poverty campaign whereby people get sponsored to live on £1 a day for all food and drink for 5 days (28 April – 2 May). Malaria No More UK is one of the major charity partners highlighting malaria as a leading, avoidable cause of poverty in Africa.
· Learn about the History of Malaria, an area showcasing some of the key historic and global moments in the malaria fight, starting from 30 million years ago when the first traces of malaria were recorded.
Getting Malaria was hosted by charity Malaria No More UK and the APPMG on Malaria and NTD’s, on World Health Day – 7th April 2014.
