Hair Nets for HopeAndy Freeman - 21 Apr 2011
World Malaria Day is Monday 25 April.
I wonder whether you’d join me in wearing a hair net for the day?You may not have heard about World Malaria Day. It’s the same day as Easter Monday. It’s not as well publicised as ‘Earth Day’ or ‘Martin Luther King Day’. Malaria isn’t talked about as much as many other health conditions. Many people think Malaria’s been dealt with - can’t you simply take some medication to deal with that? Malaria is an Mosquito-borne infectious disease. Each year there are nearly 250 million cases of Malaria. It kills between 1 and 3 million each year, most of whom are children, and majority of whom live in Sub-Saharan Africa. The World Health Organisation links Malaria directly to poverty, both as a cause and a symptom.
Malaria is holding back large parts of our world.
Something that could make a big different is nets. Mosquito nets are one of the best ways of stopping the spread of Malaria and one of the easiest to organise. Yet lack of funds or poor distribution of resources mean many go to sleep without this protection and awake with a deadly disease.
Economist and campaigner Jeffrey Sachs estimates that Malaria could be controlled with US$3 billion in Aid each year.
- 700 million bed-nets
- 200 million doses of effective anti-malarial treatment
- 200 million homes sprayed with insect repellant
- 1.5 billion diagnostic tests
They estimate this would equate to US$6.2 Billion in investment.
This Easter why not take a few simple steps to remember people around the world who face a tiny but deadly threat ... the mosquito.
Wear a Hair Net
I’d like to ask you to join me in wearing a hair net for World Malaria Day. Why not wear one to your Easter Service and spend a moment publicising this issue. Or wear one on Monday 25th and see what reaction you get. You’ll definitely get the chance to spread the word. Wear one on your head, pin one to your jacket ... publicise mosquito nets and the different they can make the world’s poor.
Take a picture of yourself wearing your hair net (preferably in public!) and email it in, or upload it to the 24-7 Facebook page and I'll compile a photo montage response.
Write a prayer
Write a prayer for those facing the threat of Malaria. Why not find out the name of your local political representative and send it to them, or write to your local newspaper and include your prayer.
Find Out More
This year 24-7 is partnering with World Vision and it’s global Child Health Petition. We believe in the action World Vision are taking and want to be a part of it. I strongly encourage you to find out more from their website and sign the online petition.
If you want to feedback on this story, use the comment section below or email me at [email protected] to continue the discussion.
“If you think you’re too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito” - Anita Roddick