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George Clooney: Malaria’s New Poster Boy?
George Clooney has recovered from malaria
U.S. News and World Report is reporting that George Clooney has made a full recovery after contracting malaria in Sudan.
That sets him apart from the over a million people the disease kills annually. Many of the deaths are among children in developing nations.
Malaria is not incurable. As Clooney’s publicist said, with proper treatment it’s a bad ten days, not a death sentence. So many children die because they don’t get proper treatment. While we’re endlessly debating the merits and risks of vaccinating our kids against illnesses most of us have never seen a case of, there are over a million totally preventable malaria deaths every year.
In Africa, malaria is the second leading cause of death. Clooney has had the disease twice now. He frequently visits Sudan to charity work there.
How much would it cost to prevent or treat malaria in the developing world’s children?
A lot. Wikipedia says that malaria is not just a sign of poverty but a cause of poverty. In sub-Saharan Africa, the poor spend as much as 32% of their income fighting the disease. It costs the continent as a whole about $12 billion dollars every year.
That seems like too big a problem to take on from my living room, but also like something that’s often ignored when I hear people talking about the developing world’s problems. I know that Africa is riddled with AIDS, war and famine, and I’m often asked by charities to pitch in and help combat those issues. But malaria? I think the last time I paid this much attention to malaria I was writing a book report on The Secret Garden.
Maybe Clooney will become malaria’s new poster boy, and help raise awareness about this disease. To learn more about this disease and what is being done to fight it, check out the President’s Malaria Initiative. The site includes a list of non-profit organizations that are working on the ground to stop the disease.
Photo: wikimedia
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