Can Social Media End Malaria? Can You?

Today I'm excited to welcome some of the world's foremost experts and advocates to Seattle for the foundation's second Malaria Forum. As we head into this exciting day, I can't help but reflect on the tremendous progress we have made in building public support to end malaria since the last forum four years ago.

We have seen a tremendous outpouring of support and innovation from all corners of the world. We have seen that everyone can make a difference, no matter their location.

Take social media. Beginning with the Twitter Race to 1 million followers --which raised nearly 100,000 mosquito nets for Malaria No More--the malaria fight has consistently broken new ground in the use of social media. Only 28 percent of people in the US thought of malaria as a serious global health problem in 2006. Today, it's more than 50 percent.

The UN created a powerful group of social media advocates called the Social Media Envoys, each of whom take an action on Twitter each month.

And we're seeing great promise using communications technologies in malaria endemic countries too.

Have you heard of the NightWatch campaign? It's an amazing example of creative community outreach. Malaria No More partnered with the Lalela Project, which broadcasted a message every night at 9 p.m. on radio, television, and cell phones, reminding people to sleep under their mosquito nets. Piloted in Senegal last year, it recently expanded to Cameroon. In a partnership with Africa's largest cell phone provider (MTN), the campaign reaches 4.6 million Cameroonians via SMS (text message), and Chad and Tanzania are getting on board as well.

As Malaria No More explains on their site:

"Similar to the 1980s American public service announcement that asked parents: "It's 10 p.m... do you know where your children are?" the NightWatch campaign asks families in Africa: "It's 9 p.m... are you and your family safe under your mosquito nets tonight?" Every message features a signature sound and a recognized local celebrity, harnessing the influence of African leaders to highlight the need for consistent use of mosquito nets."

So, wondering how you can get involved too? As a start, I'd suggest that you follow the discussion at #endmalaria this week. You could also watch this video of us discussing why malaria is such a priority for the foundation, and you might also read the "Frontlines of Malaria" series.

And then? The rest is up to you.

 

Follow Melinda Gates on Twitter: www.twitter.com/melindagates

Comments

[A mcbride]

12:08 PM on 11/17/2011

It's great that many organizations and companies realize what a great outlet social media is and they are learning how to use it to their advantage. People can be reached on social media websites that may not hear about these issues otherwise. I just hope that these organizations will continue doing what they are doing in the real world and they do not get caught up in the fad that is social media.

[Hopeful33]

11:17 PM on 10/17/2011

Dear Mrs. Gates:

Can you please look at this photo:

http://media.thestar.topscms.com/images/06/82/d65595c041a6aab27972eec35672.jpeg

May I please ask you and your husband to re-consider your support of nuclear power? I know that none of us want to see anymore children affected by radiation from a nuclear meltdown and have to be checked for radiation exposure as the child in the photo is.

Radiation from Japan's 3 nuclear meltdowns was already found in the milk, water, in the U.S.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2011/04/09/radiation-detected-in-drinking-water-in-13-more-us-cities-cesium-137-in-vermont-milk/

Radiation is cumulative and its effects (cancer, etc.) grow exponentially with each exposure. Children are more susceptible to the dangerous effects.

Thank you.

[methodman]

05:33 PM on 10/17/2011

What would help is if (you and your husband) because that is not your expertiese and it is suprising how different a person must think to develop software or even produce policy or process and created targeted educational programming code books that gave actual code and formulas like the C64 magazines and Load star used to do. For varieties of complicated topics. Yes there are many books however actual programs seem to have declined after the popularity of the C64 I have 600 books for that one computer.

[Simply put]

03:32 PM on 10/17/2011

While I applaud the Gate's Foundation in its fight against the diseases that destroy the lives of so many vulnerable children, I wonder about how this ever increasing population in war-ravaged, inhospitable climates will do much more than simply survive. What good is there in the long run when all these children will still grow up in a world where their resources cannot hope to support more than simple existence?

[June25]

02:53 PM on 10/19/2011

Or as they used to say "It's not that we are having to many babies it's just that the wrong people are having babies".