17 November 2004, Arusha, Tanzania
Your Excellency the President of the Republic of Tanzania, Honourable guests, Ladies and gentlemen.
I live in Same district, Kilimanjaro region, and I want to urge the entire world’s leaders coming here to my home for the global fund, to please help us fight malaria. My family and friends, like millions of African children, are dying unnecessarily when a few shillings will buy us the drugs to help us live, to grow up and fulfil our dreams.
My life depends on the decisions you make at this board meeting. Please Mr Tommy Thompson, chairman of the Global Fund, remember us when you are voting. I feel very sad to see how our people suffer from this deadly disease; I lost my brother and my classmate because of this disease. Others have permanent effects on their lives: there is one who is paralysed due to an injection he got when he was suffering from Malaria, and another became deaf and dumb from a malaria injection.
Malaria is a Serious Disease; it is a leading cause of death, especially in developing countries. Each year, malaria kills over 100,000 Tanzanians including 70,000 children while infecting 18 million others. Every 5 minutes, a Tanzanian dies from Malaria. One in every 5 children dies needlessly from malaria before they reach 5 years of age. Our president had once said malaria is a big problem reducing Tanzanians income by 40% and that on average, 20% of 35 million Tanzanians’ household income is spent on treating malaria. This has a negative effect on the national economy.
Since many countries with malaria are already among the poorer nations, the disease continues the cruel cycle of disease and poverty.
I therefore call upon Tanzanian citizens and all the people in the African continent and the world as a whole to fight against malaria for the sake of the present and future generation. You never know who might be the next victim; it might be you or me.
Thank you.
These pictures show exactly the truth of this epidemic.
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| The child above, one of his leg paralysed due injection when he was suffering from Malaria | The child above has become deaf and dumb due to the injection when he was suffering from Malaria |