An Audacious Goal

This week in Seattle, an extraordinary group of people -- scientists, policymakers, and advocates - came together for three days to discuss what can be done to stop malaria. Melinda and I issued a challenge to those attending the meeting. We asked them to begin charting a course to eradicate malaria - not just to control or reduce it, but to work toward a time when no one on earth is infected with malaria, and no mosquitoes carry the disease.

Today, malaria kills more than one million people every year, most of them children in Africa. That's the equivalent of losing every student in the New York City public school system in one year.

We know that eradicating malaria is an audacious goal. But advances in science and medicine, new political commitments, and the dedication of people like you have given the world an historic opportunity to conquer malaria. It won't be easy and it won't happen quickly, but I'm optimistic that we can make this disease history.

At the forum in Seattle, Melinda and I called on the U.S. presidential candidates to commit to expand the President's Malaria Initiative, a great program started by President Bush. I hope you will join us in asking all of the candidates to make this pledge and keep the fight against malaria on the national agenda.

I am confident that together, we can produce the energy, compassion, and commitment needed to win the fight against malaria.

To view a webcast of the Seattle malaria forum, visit here. For more information about how you can help fight malaria, visit here.

This post first appeared at the ONE campaign.

Comments

[Arielman]

I grew up in the New York City area where the history of mosquito control has been an on-going "war" which the Chinese may win, they have invested much in it's demise (malaria), thereby winning and influencing friends and enemies, perhaps. In NYC we had the unfortunate propagation of the West Nile virus (not to be confused with the protozoa) perhaps from the old Flushing Airport in 1999, after the tidal gates were left damaged. As a resident of the Bronx and encountering a number of dead birds around the Bronx Zoo, one specifically in "Old Soldiers Cemetery" a block from the zoo, employed in the archaeological monitoring of a new partial fence, I thought it had maybe come from there. Howeve,r most of the human cases came from Queens, NY near the former airport.
My father anecdotally related dusting with DDT the children in Italy for body lice in WWII and thought the controversy much ado about nothing until research revealed in the New York area (first by a woman scientist on Great Gull Island off of Orient Point and Plum Island, i.e. where animal disease is quarantined and studied, in the middle of 40 million people) off of Long Island, NY that it was thinning the shells of various birds, especially the beloved osprey (or sea eagle, which bald eagles sometimes steal food from along the Hudson River) whose flyway (as was Flushing Airport's once) includes the shores of Brazil.
Suffolk County mosquito control has dug hundreds of "canals" in tidal wetlands. Water flows so that mosquito larvae drown presumably or are never there. NYC has had the same treatment. Sickle cell anemia, a heritable consequence of repeated exposures to malaria, red blood cells try to adapt, is a painful genetic consequence I've read. Wiping it out would be a benefit to look forward to, like the Hogfarm bus at Woodstock '69, which was present at the last case thought of smallpox in the world, in India.

[lthuedk]

This isn't all you two do, but the battle you describe catches the essence of mind Gates-a model for all that can be good about capitalism.

Thank you.

[animalhamilton]

start a goal of hiring more US citizens.

[sassafra]

mr. gates,
given that climate change is only going to increase the range of this deadly disease i wish you the best in your endeavour.

might i suggest however, that you might concentrate on the eradication of the mosquito as a possible means to that end? in one fell swoop a multitude of diseases such as west nile and dengue fever in addition to malaria could be targeted at once.
perhaps a worldwide release of mosquitos that have been reproductively crippled by genetic manipulation?
or development of a virus or parasite that kills them?
good luck.

[DRaymond]

It would be trouble to eliminate the mosquito without eleiminating other insect species, and this could have reprocussions for species that rely on mosquitoes for a substantial portion of their diet.

[FoxandRealityisOxyMoron]

Thanks for being a leader on this issue.

The the overall impact of accomplishing this can't be overstated. It's the kind of positive global initiatives that can begin help restore the tarnished image of the US.

I can't imagine that the candidates would have any problem getting behind this..

js

[naijaman]

Bill, as a first-generation American with parents from West Africa, I'd like to thank you for all your efforts. I appreciate that you and your wife don't just write checks, but actually roll up your sleeves and do the work. You spend a lot of time on the ground, working with the local people to eradicate malaria.

I'm amazed at some of the people here actually attacking you for one thing or the other...it­'s rather pathetic in my opinion, however I'm sure you're used to it.

Again...th­anks for your good work.

[Tr0uBle]

Mr. Gates:

The real story here is not about eradicating malaria, instead it is all about you seeking media attention to highlight your wealth.

Wealth from marketing cheap program software to the world.. and by cheap I dont mean inexpensive.

Hey dude I have an Idea, how about taking a stabe at using your corperate influence and help get us out of this war?

[JulieSA]

"...instea­d it is all about you seeking media attention to highlight your wealth....­"

No good deed goes unpunished.

[DICKERSON3870]

WHAT ABOUT ALL OF THAT CHOLERA IN IRAQ NOW THAT WE HAVE TURNED IT INTO A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY?

[CSE]

While you're in the caring mood - why not try to stop the number of annual deaths due to violence and maybe curtail the willingness to multinational corporations to influence the populations of foreign countries through the World Bank and the IMF?

It would be a dream if malaria were the main concern..

[oncesung]

Same thing everyone else says - help us. We made you rich. Help us. But wait, aren't you the guy who takes the credit and the money for the end product that has been the work of so many? Never mind, Bill, for a moment I mistook you for a normal human being.

[maddogbitesback]

Bill Gates - he tries to be American and annoys people. Oprah had the sameproblem. Help America. We have poor people too. Well America help yourselves. Stop being so petty. Lord knows even the poor are rich by African standards. I mean do you rush out and drink from apuddle when it rains. In Africa lots of people do.

[MancRat]

Very much in the tradition of the old entrepreneurs such as Carnegie, who made a fortune and then did something with that wealth to give back to the world.

Bill, you are a remarkable man and an inspiration to everyone. Same with Mr Allen who is funding our push for commercial spaceflight, another project which will advance humanity.

[Stirner]

Yeah, hey, maybe Mr. Allen could give Bill a spaceflight over Philadelphia and Bill could see if he can spot where the more than 500 homicides a year take place, and look out over the thousands of homeless? Its time for these celebrity charity folk, such as Gates and Turner, to help out the people in their own countries and to stop trying to make anal sex in Africa a safe bet.

[maddogbitesback]

Stirner - that is so American. How - words fail me. Read the homicide statistics in America. Not nice. But you would have to vote for a government to apend tax dollars to lower it. What a thought.

[jpshotwheels]

Dear Mr. Gates,

Although, I admire what you have done for disease, however I lack a some understanding for not helping in this Country. Why not stand up on the New Orleans issue and going Green?

You seem to be lacking on the American issue's, the direction in which our Country is headed, we may need your foundations help with Malaria right here in America soon.

We could really use your help in the education system, in this Country for our children, instead you just want more working visas to bring in foreign workers. Right now all the children in the United States are being Left Behind. It is incredible to me, what has happened to our education system, these wonderful children all across our Country, can many times be labeled with learning disabilities, when they have none, so the teachers and principals can make their quotas. They are being deprived of what could be major posibilities for our future.

So sad and so sorry to be so harsh to you, and I do respect what your doing, but damn Bill & Melinda, we need your help here too, people with no money have no power. I am not saying not help other Countries, but we are also one in dire need.

Thank you and I really hope your read this.

[cindyw]

You should check the Gates Foundation website. You might be surprised at what Gates is doing in this country, for New Orleans and for education, among other things.

[mamacat]

Eradicating Malaria is an amazing thing to do.

Suggestions for more projects:
1.) convince Exxon Mobil that it is in their interest to become an energy company, concerned about global warming, and not just an oil company funding false scientific debate on whether global warming is real

2.) work to humanely stop the explosion in the numbers of humans on the planet

3.) apologize for windows vista - what a disaster, and a rip-off

[researcher]

bush cares about children. news to me.

if we cannot make money off the sick and needy in america why bother with capitalism.

actually I had just heard about this there is so much to do in the world and instead we prefer to have wars for profits.

capitalism needs checks and balances or else we end up with a country like ours where we have a greed is good mentality.

[Forest]

Bill and Melinda Gates are exemplary in their fight against maleria. Now, if they could do the same with ridding the world of parasitic war profiteering and save
thousands upon thousands of more lives.

[RalphJoseph]

This effort to eradicate malaria, however well intentioned, is like worrying about a crookred wall picture during a level 8 eartquake.

[AurigaRa]

you do what you can. No one can do it all.

But hopefully the Gates Fdn won't follow in the steps of the Rockefellers who do so much philanthropy to cover up their role in taking down America.

Absolute power....

[maddogbitesback]

Million upon millions not thousands and thousands. The second world war was sixty million dead and tyranny assured for hundreds of millions more. Don't know how many displaced and/or injured. So when you vote, vote for a government which will stop the religious fanatics who demand women have babies they don't want and can't afford. Overpopulation causes war. Bill Gates has just one vote - same as you.