Malaria Foundation Stresses Education of Students is Critical to End Malaria
The Malaria Foundation International (MFI) demonstrates how partnerships among students, teachers and community leaders can invigorate youth to become instrumental in the fight against malaria. The Student Leaders Against Malaria (SLAM) network is making headway in India and in many African countries, where malaria remains a leading cause of death.
Atlanta, GA, September 26, 2008 --(PR.com)-- The Malaria Foundation International (MFI) has taken a leading role in stressing the importance of education in the fight against malaria, and rallying students together in partnership. The MFI is emphasizing the critical importance of health education as a component for any successful disease control strategy, and this is especially true for malaria, which is a preventable and treatable disease. The MFI has recognized that lack of knowledge about malaria is a common finding in malaria-endemic countries, and this can be traced to the frequent lack of education about malaria in schools.
True to its mission, to facilitate the development of solutions to the health, economic and social problems caused by malaria, over the past several years, the MFI has been developing a global network of Student Leaders Against Malaria (SLAM). A special aspect of this network is that students from countries at risk for malaria partner with students in malaria-free countries. This educational approach to help “end malaria” is also an empowering means to increase student’s awareness of global issues and teach important leadership and networking skills.
Malaria remains one of the world’s largest killer diseases. Today marks the launch of a Global Malaria Action Plan, drafted by members of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, including MFI’s founder and president, Dr. Mary Galinski. This launch comes one week after the release of the World Malaria Report 2008, prepared by the World Health Organization.
These documents lay out the enormous burden of malaria worldwide, with new estimates for several hundred million cases annually and close to a million deaths, and they promote new strategic objectives to control, eliminate and ultimately eradicate the disease. According to Dr. Galinski, “Students are eager for the details, not just the talking points. They want to learn and develop careers that will help reduce and eliminate this major global health threat”.
The Malaria Foundation launched SLAM in 2005 with the lead of MFI’s African Liaison Dr. Cindy Korir from Kenya, who engaged students from Kericho, Kenya. These students interacted with Ms. Lexi Fields and her students from an elective course on malaria taught at the Galloway School in Atlanta, Georgia, USA and with students in a malaria club organized by Mr. Josh Gottlieb in Detroit, Michigan. Recently, along with the participation of the American Embassy, Mr. Tommie Hamaluba and his students from the Gaborone Secondary School in Botswana have been partnering with Mr. Bill Meyers and his students from the Alexander Dawson School in Denver, Colorado. “School by school, and student by student, the network is growing”, said Mr. Bill Meyers, a leading SLAM teacher from the Dawson School.
The global SLAM network currently includes young leaders and students of all ages being mobilized in the United States, India and the African countries Botswana, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Southern Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia. People worldwide are welcome to join the SLAM network as active participants or financial supporters.
As exemplified in a number of pilot projects, SLAM leaders learn to pass on their knowledge within their communities. They are also increasing their knowledge about malaria and learning to interact in the global arena. In essence, they are becoming young ambassadors, and the leaders of tomorrow.
Despite current optimism being expressed by various global leaders, aiming to reduce malaria deaths to zero by 2015, how much progress will actually be made within this timeline remains entirely uncertain. The cultivation of a future generation of knowledgeable leaders who can keep up this fight is without question a wise investment.
For more information, please visit the MFI website (www.malaria.org). The MFI is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization, established in 1992. Its current flagship projects include SLAM and the End Malaria - Blue Ribbon campaign.
Contacts:
Dr. Esmeralda Meyer
Outreach Director, MFI
MFI@malaria.org
Tel:770-891-1604
###
True to its mission, to facilitate the development of solutions to the health, economic and social problems caused by malaria, over the past several years, the MFI has been developing a global network of Student Leaders Against Malaria (SLAM). A special aspect of this network is that students from countries at risk for malaria partner with students in malaria-free countries. This educational approach to help “end malaria” is also an empowering means to increase student’s awareness of global issues and teach important leadership and networking skills.
Malaria remains one of the world’s largest killer diseases. Today marks the launch of a Global Malaria Action Plan, drafted by members of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, including MFI’s founder and president, Dr. Mary Galinski. This launch comes one week after the release of the World Malaria Report 2008, prepared by the World Health Organization.
These documents lay out the enormous burden of malaria worldwide, with new estimates for several hundred million cases annually and close to a million deaths, and they promote new strategic objectives to control, eliminate and ultimately eradicate the disease. According to Dr. Galinski, “Students are eager for the details, not just the talking points. They want to learn and develop careers that will help reduce and eliminate this major global health threat”.
The Malaria Foundation launched SLAM in 2005 with the lead of MFI’s African Liaison Dr. Cindy Korir from Kenya, who engaged students from Kericho, Kenya. These students interacted with Ms. Lexi Fields and her students from an elective course on malaria taught at the Galloway School in Atlanta, Georgia, USA and with students in a malaria club organized by Mr. Josh Gottlieb in Detroit, Michigan. Recently, along with the participation of the American Embassy, Mr. Tommie Hamaluba and his students from the Gaborone Secondary School in Botswana have been partnering with Mr. Bill Meyers and his students from the Alexander Dawson School in Denver, Colorado. “School by school, and student by student, the network is growing”, said Mr. Bill Meyers, a leading SLAM teacher from the Dawson School.
The global SLAM network currently includes young leaders and students of all ages being mobilized in the United States, India and the African countries Botswana, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Southern Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia. People worldwide are welcome to join the SLAM network as active participants or financial supporters.
As exemplified in a number of pilot projects, SLAM leaders learn to pass on their knowledge within their communities. They are also increasing their knowledge about malaria and learning to interact in the global arena. In essence, they are becoming young ambassadors, and the leaders of tomorrow.
Despite current optimism being expressed by various global leaders, aiming to reduce malaria deaths to zero by 2015, how much progress will actually be made within this timeline remains entirely uncertain. The cultivation of a future generation of knowledgeable leaders who can keep up this fight is without question a wise investment.
For more information, please visit the MFI website (www.malaria.org). The MFI is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization, established in 1992. Its current flagship projects include SLAM and the End Malaria - Blue Ribbon campaign.
Contacts:
Dr. Esmeralda Meyer
Outreach Director, MFI
MFI@malaria.org
Tel:770-891-1604
###
Contact
Malaria Foundation International
Dr. Esmeralda Meyer
770-891-1604
www.malaria.org
Dr. Esmeralda Meyer
770-891-1604
www.malaria.org
Contact
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