Episcopal News Service December 15, 2006
White House Summit on Malaria welcomes ERD president as featured speaker
[Source: Episcopal Relief and Development] Robert W. Radtke, president of Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) (http://www.er-d.org), was a featured speaker at the December 14 White House Summit on Malaria (http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/malaria), which was hosted by the President and Laura Bush at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C., in collaboration with the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development and Malaria No More.
Malaria is an easily preventable disease. Yet, it currently kills 3,000 children daily and claims the lives of nearly one million people worldwide every year, ERD notes.
The White House Summit on Malaria assembled non-governmental organizations, faith-based service agencies, multilateral institutions, international experts, civic leaders from Africa, government dignitaries, corporations and foundations. The meeting's objective was to initiate a public-private effort to fight malaria as well as educate the American public and the wider international community about the need for a global partnership to control malaria.
The summit was part of the President's Malaria Initiative, a five-year program that began in 2005. The initiative, a collaboration of the private sector and U.S. government, aims to cut malaria-related deaths by 50 percent in 15 African countries.
More than 300 people attended the event, which included remarks by First Lady Laura Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Melinda Gates and Nigerian Minister of Health Eyitayo Lambo, among other notable speakers.
At the meeting, Radtke announced ERD's NetsforLife initiative, a partnership for malaria prevention in Africa that will deliver 1 million long-lasting insecticide-treated nets along with critical training on proper use of the nets in 16 countries across sub-Saharan Africa during the next three years. NetsforLife is a consortium of funding and implementing partners that works through Anglican churches and ecumenical agencies in Africa to mobilize grassroots communities to prevent, recognize and treat malaria.
Full story and photograph: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/3577_80532_ENG_HTM.htm
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