[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 35 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. CON. RES. 35
Supporting the goals and ideals of World Malaria Day.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 23, 2013
Mr. Crenshaw (for himself and Mr. Meeks) submitted the following
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Supporting the goals and ideals of World Malaria Day.
Whereas April 25th of each year is recognized internationally as World Malaria
Day;
Whereas malaria is a leading cause of death and disease in many developing
countries, despite being preventable and treatable;
Whereas fighting malaria is in the national security interest of the United
States, as reducing the risk of malaria protects members of the Armed
Forces of the United States serving overseas in malaria-endemic regions,
and reducing malaria deaths helps to lower risks of instability in less
developed countries;
Whereas support for efforts to fight malaria is in the diplomatic and moral
interest of the United States, as that support generates goodwill toward
the United States and highlights the values of the people of the United
States through the work of governmental, non-governmental, and faith-
based organizations of the United States;
Whereas efforts to fight malaria are in the long-term economic interest of the
United States because those efforts help developing countries identify
at-risk populations, provide better health services, produce healthier
and more productive workforces, advance economic development, and
promote stronger trading partners;
Whereas 35 countries, the majority of which are in sub-Saharan Africa, account
for 91 percent of malaria deaths in the world;
Whereas young children and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to and
disproportionately affected by malaria;
Whereas malaria greatly affects child health, as children under the age of 5
account for an estimated 86 percent of malaria deaths each year;
Whereas malaria poses great risks to maternal and neonatal health, causing
complications during delivery, anemia, and low birth weights, with
estimates that malaria infection causes approximately 400,000 cases of
severe maternal anemia and between 75,000 and 200,000 infant deaths
annually in sub-Saharan Africa;
Whereas heightened national, regional, and international efforts to prevent and
treat malaria during recent years have made significant progress and
helped save hundreds of thousands of lives;
Whereas the World Malaria Report 2012 by the World Health Organization states
that in 2011, approximately 53 percent of households in sub-Saharan
Africa owned at least one insecticide-treated mosquito net, and
household surveys indicated that 90 percent of people used an
insecticide-treated mosquito net if one was available in the household;
Whereas, in 2011, approximately 153,000,000 people were protected by indoor
residual spraying;
Whereas the World Malaria Report 2012 further states that between 2000 and
2010--
(1) malaria mortality rates decreased by 26 percent around the world;
(2) in the African Region of the World Health Organization, malaria
mortality rates decreased by 33 percent; and
(3) an estimated 1,100,000 malaria deaths were averted globally,
primarily as a result of increased interventions;
Whereas the World Malaria Report 2012 further states that out of 99 countries
with ongoing transmission of malaria in 2012, 11 countries are
classified as being in the pre-elimination phase of malaria control, 10
countries are classified as being in the elimination phase, and 5
countries are classified as being in the prevention of introduction
phase;
Whereas continued national, regional, and international investment in efforts to
eliminate malaria, including prevention and treatment efforts, the
development of a vaccine to immunize children from the malaria parasite,
and advancements in insecticides, are critical in order to continue to
reduce malaria deaths, prevent backsliding in areas where progress has
been made, and equip the United States and the global community with the
tools necessary to fight malaria and other global health threats;
Whereas the United States Government has played a leading role in the recent
progress made toward reducing the global burden of malaria, particularly
through the President's Malaria Initiative and the contribution of the
United States to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and
Malaria;
Whereas, in May 2011, an independent, external evaluation, prepared through the
Global Health Technical Assistance Project, examining 6 objectives of
the President's Malaria Initiative, found the President's Malaria
Initiative to be a successful, well-led component of the Global Health
Initiative that has ``earned and deserves the task of sustaining and
expanding the United States Government's response to global malaria
control efforts'';
Whereas the United States Government is pursuing a comprehensive approach to
ending malaria deaths through the President's Malaria Initiative, which
is led by the United States Agency for International Development and
implemented with assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, the Department of State, the Department of Health and Human
Services, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense,
and private sector entities;
Whereas the President's Malaria Initiative focuses on helping partner countries
achieve major improvements in overall health outcomes through improved
access to, and quality of, healthcare services in locations with limited
resources; and
Whereas the President's Malaria Initiative, recognizing the burden of malaria on
many partner countries, has set a target of reducing the burden of
malaria by 50 percent for 450,000,000 people, representing 70 percent of
the at-risk population in Africa, by 2015: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That the Congress--
(1) supports the goals and ideals of World Malaria Day,
including the target of ending malaria deaths by 2015;
(2) recognizes the importance of reducing malaria
prevalence and deaths to improve overall child and maternal
health, especially in sub-Saharan Africa;
(3) commends the recent progress made toward reducing
global malaria morbidity, mortality, and prevalence,
particularly through the efforts of the President's Malaria
Initiative and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and
Malaria;
(4) welcomes ongoing public-private partnerships to
research and develop more effective and affordable tools for
malaria diagnosis, treatment, and vaccination;
(5) recognizes the goals, priorities, and authorities to
combat malaria set forth in the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde
United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis,
and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-293;
122 Stat. 2918);
(6) supports continued leadership by the United States in
bilateral, multilateral, and private sector efforts to combat
malaria and to work with developing countries to create long-
term strategies to increase ownership over malaria programs;
and
(7) encourages other members of the international community
to sustain and increase their support for and financial
contributions to efforts to combat malaria worldwide.
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