Stakeholders Explore the Sustainability of Malaria Prevention Efforts
Media Advisory
The first international symposium on malaria prevention, Walking Together Hand in Hand to Fight Malaria, will be held on October 17, 2008, at the Fairway Hotel in Kampala, Uganda. The symposium aims to strengthen the leadership of Ugandan nurses in managing malaria prevention and treatment. Malaria, one of the leading causes of death among children in Africa, takes a child’s life every 30 seconds.
Guest speakers include:
The Hon. Dr. Stephen Mallinga, minister of health, Uganda
Janet D. Obuni, president, Uganda National Association for Nurses and Midwives (UNANM)
Dr. June Webber, director, International Policy and Development, Canadian Nurses Association (CNA)
Dr. Graham Root, Africa director, Malaria Consortium Group
Senator Mobina Jaffer, Government of Canada
Debra Lefebvre, founder, BUY-A-NET Malaria Prevention Group
Teddy Kyomuhangi, project manager, Health Child Uganda
Despite advances in medicine, malaria continues to haunt over 40 per cent of the world’s population, infecting more than 500 million and killing up to 3 million every year.
The symposium is supported by UNANM, CNA and BUY-A-NET Malaria Prevention Group. For more information on BUY-A-NET and malaria prevention, visit www.buyanet.ca.
Contact:
Janet D. Obuni, UNANM
011256772522293 (International call)
0712845181 (In-country call) or
Patrick Bateganya, UNANM
011256772522293 (International call)
0772522293 (In-country call)
Cathy Bryan, BUY-A-NET Malaria Prevention Group
613-542-1264
Canadian Nurses Association Endorses BUY-A-NET At World Malaria Day Commemoration
Kingston— The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) has announced its official endorsement of the BUY-A-NET Malaria Prevention Group, today acknowledging the group’s important contribution towards the prevention of malaria-related deaths in Africa, one village at a time. Despite the progression of modern medicine, malaria continues to haunt over 40% of the world’s population, infecting more than 500 million people per year, and killing over 1 million. Malaria is the leading cause of death among children in Africa, taking a child’s life every 30 seconds.
CNA’s endorsement, which coincides with World Malaria Day (April 25th), officially recognizes the efforts of the Kingston-based organization that has worked to provide bed nets and anti-malaria medication to villages in Uganda since its inception in 2004. In Kingston, World Malaria Day will officially be recognized with a commemorative Public Open House on Friday, April 25th, from 1:00 pm – 3:00 p.m. in Memorial Hall housed within Kingston’s City Hall. Lefebvre will be joined by Mayor Harvey Rosen, Senator Hugh Segal, Dr. June Webber of the Canadian Nurses Association, and the Ugandan High Commissioner, H.E. George Abola.
“The Canadian Nurses Association endorses and salutes the contributions of BUY-A-NET as a direct mechanism for the prevention of malaria deaths in Uganda,” said Marlene Smadu, President of CNA. “Canada’s nurses play an important role in strengthening global health and I congratulate the team at BUY-A-NET for their leadership in bringing forward solutions to addressing a deadly disease that affects millions.”
“This endorsement is important on two levels,” noted Debra Lefebvre, Founder of BUY-A-NET. “As a Registered Nurse myself, it is an incredible honour to have the efforts of BUY-A-NET recognized by the Canadian Nurses Association. CNA’s reputation as a leader in global health and equity issues is exemplary and well known. More importantly, I think it acts as official recognition of a very real problem that people on this side of the world can easily do something about with a bed net which costs only $6.00. Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease that has been allowed to become a global health crisis. Bed nets save lives. It’s so simple. This endorsement is an example of the collaboration that must take place on community, local, national, regional and international levels if this fight is going to be won.”
“This is what World Malaria Day is all about,” continued Lefebvre, “It is a day of determination, optimism and hope because we know that the incidence of malaria related deaths is drastically reduced by as high as 95% with the use of insecticide treated bed nets. It is an opportunity for malaria-free countries to join in the global partnership against malaria. It is a day to make the world care.”
The CNA is the professional voice of nursing in Canada. It is a federation of 11 provincial and territorial professional nursing associations. It has a 30-year history of advancing the nursing profession internationally through a program that focuses on strengthening nursing leadership capacity in resource-poor countries.
BUY-A-NET Malaria Prevention Group is Canada’s first volunteer citizen-driven, charitable organization that seeks to prevent deaths from malaria in Africa one country at a time. The nation of Uganda was chosen as the first target country of the campaign, whose slogan “6 Bucks, BUY-A-NET, Save a life” provides advocacy and awareness about malaria as well as raises much needed funds for the procurement of long-lasting, insecticide treated bed nets and anti-malaria medicine. In partnership with community-based groups, the nets are distributed free of charge, one village at a time. and to-date it has installed approximately 25,000 anti-malaria nets. A donation of $6.00 will purchase a long lasting insecticide treated net, for a donation of $350.00 an entire African village can be netted. Donations can be made to BUY-A-NET through its website, (www.buyanet.ca) or by cheque directly to the organization located out of Kingston, Ontario.
For more information contact:
Debra Lefebvre
Founder
BUY-A-NET Malaria Prevention Group
613-542-1264 or 613-539-2945
P.O. Box 1063, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 4Y5
debra@buyanet.ca
www.buyanet.ca
Canadian’s Embrace World Malaria Day
WORLD MALARIA DAY RECOGNIZED COAST-TO-COAST in CANADA;
BUY-A-NET Malaria Prevention Group hosts Reception
Kingston: Debra Lefebvre, Founder of BUY-A-NET Malaria Prevention Group (BAN), today announced that World Malaria Day (WMD) has been embraced by Canadian municipalities, coast to coast. In Kingston, WMD will officially be recognized with a commemorative Open House on Friday, April 25th, from 1:00 pm – 3:00 PM, in Memorial Hall housed within Kingston’s City Hall.
The reception is aimed at raising awareness about malaria as a global health crisis. Malaria is a largely preventable disease that kills over 3,000 children every day and claims over a million lives a year.
“For the 2nd time in Canada, Kingston will be the location for the event recognizing World Malaria Day. Kingston’s leadership is amazing!“ said Lefebvre. “Many Canadian cities have accepted the challenge by Mayor Rosen to recognize WMD, including Canada’s Capital City of Ottawa! Today we can all grab Canada’s attention to point it to the heart of the problem, and engage the Canadian community to become part of the solution, one village at a time“, added Lefebvre.
Among dignitaries joining Lefebvre at the event will be Mayor Harvey Rosen , Senator Hugh Segal and The Ugandan High Commissioner, H.E. George Abola.. “The fight to rid the world of malaria is a global one. BUY-A-NET has raised the profile of malaria amongst Canadians, and the people of Uganda are very grateful,” says Abola. “Many people are unaware of malaria’s severity and yet about 40% of the world’s population are at risk- over 3 billion people — and the disease claims over one million lives each year; the vast majority of them,“ adds Abola , “are children under the age of five.”
Also speaking at the event will be Honorary Youth Ambassador Marie-Michelle Jobin. A École Secondaire Catholique Marie-Rivier student who has raised hundreds of dollars for BUY-A-NET, Jobin points out that, “Malaria is not just a problem of the third world. In our global village we are interlinked in ways we never thought conceivable a generation ago.” Jobin continues to say that, “as Honorary Youth Ambassador, I hope that I can inspire other young people to think outside the borders of their own town and to help join the fight against Malaria.”
Launched in 2004, BUY-A-NET is Canada’s volunteer-driven, charitable organization that seeks to prevent deaths from Malaria in Africa, one country at a time. The nation of Uganda was chosen as the first target country of the campaign, whose slogan “6 Bucks, BUY-A-NET, Save a life“ provides advocacy and awareness about malaria, as well as raises much-needed funds for the procurement of long-lasting, insecticide treated bed nets and anti-malaria medicine. In partnership with community-based groups, the nets are distributed free of charge, one village at a time. Malaria is the leading cause of death among children in Africa, taking a child’s life every 30 seconds.
Contact
Joanne Langlois
(613) 548-8035 or (613) 540-1202
Debra Lefebvre, Founder
BUY-A-NET Malaria Prevention Group
debra@ buyanet.ca
(613) 542-1264 or (613) 539-2945 (cell)
P.O. Box 1063, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 4Y5
The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) Endorses the BUY-A-NET Malaria Prevention Initiative
The Canadian Nurses Association has endorsed BUY-A-NET.
The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) is very pleased to inform you of our endorsement of the BUY-A-NET Malaria Prevention initiative. By endorsing this initiative, CNA acknowledges the important contribution of BUY-A-NET as a direct mechanism for the prevention of Malaria deaths in Uganda. This endorsement also expresses our willingness to support this initiative publicly. …
CNA has a 30-year history of advancing the nursing profession internationally, a programme that generally focuses on strengthening nursing leadership capacity in resource-poor countries so that nurses address and advocate for improved health, health system and nursing priorities. Through multiple interventions that include education, advocacy and the provision of nets, we firmly believe this initiative, BUY-A-NET, is addressing the urgent population health needs related to malaria prevention while standing to build an important professional platform that strengthens and sustains the results of this initiative.
HAVE-A-HEART For BUY-A-NET
The Valentines Day “HAVE-A-HEART For BUY-A-NET” campaign event on Parliament Hill press release:
Ottawa – Canadian MPs and Senators will once again join forces with BUY-A-NET Malaria Prevention Group on Valentines Day to launch the “HAVE-A-HEART For BUY-A-NET” information campaign on Parliament Hill. …
The Valentines Day “HAVE-A-HEART For BUY-A-NET” campaign event on Parliament Hill is sponsored by BC Senator Mobina Jaffer and Ontario Senator Hugh Segal. Senator Jaffer has worked extensively with BUY-A-NET. Last November, while visiting Uganda for the Commonwealth Summit, she teamed up with BUY-A-NET at the Mulago hospital in Kampala to distribute bed nets to the Oncology Unit. “I was horrified to learn of children surviving cancer only to die from malaria, a completely treatable illness,” says Jaffer. She further says, “Investing in Malaria control is good value for Canadian aid dollars: you can literally save a life for the price of six dollars!” …
Download the Press Release
