Monday, March 14, 2005

As someone who has travelled extensively in Africa, and more importantly, as a malaria survivor, I would be remiss if I didn't use the small platform I have to mention events like this weekend's "Africa Live" concert in Dakar, Senegal.

The concert, which featured musicians such as Senegal's renowned Orchestra Baobob, promoted awareness of an epidemic that has gone relatively unnoticed in the West, and America in particular.

For those who don't know much about it, malaria kills a child every thirty seconds in Africa, and affects some 600 million people worldwide. Yet malaria eradication programs continue to be underfunded, even though the disease can be prevented and treated far more easily than epidemics such as AIDS. (I myself recovered from cerebral malaria only because I could afford the $10 of medication it required.)

For anyone interested in more information, please visit www.fightingmalaria.org or www.malaria.org. Meanwhile, for those interested in helping directly, I'd recommend visiting www.massiveeffort.org.

Even if you don't have the time or resources to help, thank you for listening.

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