There’s a famous Africa proverb;
“If you think you are too small to make a difference, you
haven’t spent a night with a mosquito”
Living with malaria is a preventable and harsh reality for
millions of people across the world, especially in Africa, where 90% of deaths
occur, South America, and India.
660,000 people are killed needlessly by the malaria parasite
entering their bloodstream, which is often caused by the bite of a mosquito. One bite causes respiratory problems, feverish
sweats, and vomiting and ruins the lives of two to three thousand families and individuals
lives per day.
Pretty bleak right? Well, we’re making progress.
Malaria deaths have decreased by more than a quarter, 26%!
The Global Fund has treated more than 290 million cases
(that’s more than twice the population of Russia)
And the campaign, Malaria No More, predicts that by 2015 we
could save a further three million lives.
So how can we do more?
Well, if you put together an
Academy-award winner, a directing legend, and one of Britain’s most infamous actresses;
I think we’re on the right path to raising awareness of one of the world’s
deadliest diseases.
Mary and Martha is a story of two women, who travelling to
Africa lose both their sons to malaria, and in an ambitious struggle try to save
the lives of infected children.
Written by Richard Curtis and directed by Phillip Noyce,
Mary and Martha stars Hilary Swank as Mary and Brenda Blethyn as Martha, and
premieres on the BBC on the 1st March at 8.30pm!
You can watch the trailer here:
GET INVOLVED:
The USA is the
biggest donor to the Fund. By (US) law,
it cannot contribute more than one-third of the Fund’s budget. For 2011-2013, the US pledged a total of $4 billion. ONE is currently lobbying the White House to
extend this level of funding for 2014 (ie $1.65 billion). President Obama will announce his decision
along with other federal funding decisions in the coming weeks.
The UK is the
third biggest contributor to the Fund (behind France and ahead of
Germany). DFID has yet to announce the
level of UK funding from 2014 onwards, although former International
Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell had committed in April 2012 to doubling
the UK’s contribution if certain conditions were met (reforms that have now
been enacted).
