Washington, D.C.--"Madam Speaker.

"On Saturday, April 25, our global community will once again come together in support of World Malaria Day. On this day, we reflect on both the progress we have realized and the necessary investments we must make in stemming the tide of the malaria epidemic.

"While malaria was eradicated in the United States over 50 years ago, forty percent of the world population is still at risk for contracting the disease. It is estimated that 350-500 million people are newly-infected with malaria each year; and tragically, the World Health Organization has estimated that one million people die annually as a result of malaria infection. An overwhelming number of these deaths are children under the age of five.

"Malaria has a crippling effect on societies’ efforts to overcome poverty. Significant reductions in productivity, education and resources are linked with the devastating effects of malaria infection, illness and death. Nowhere is this more apparent than in African countries, where it has been estimated by Roll Back Malaria that there is a cumulative $12 billion in lost economic productivity each year. This represents a devastating 1.3 percent annual loss in GDP growth in endemic countries. The numbers are simply staggering.

"There are easy, effective and affordable interventions for malaria control. In fact, it only costs about $2 per recipient. The savings are clear. We must continue to strengthen existing health systems and scale up bed nets, indoor spraying, source control, diagnosis and treatment. We must continue to make anti-malarial drugs such as artemisinin-based combination therapies more widely available, but also support the existing and future public and private partnerships which are making exciting advancements in malaria diagnostics, treatment, and vaccine development. These efforts will help us reach the achievable target of ending malaria deaths by 2015.

"Significant investments in malaria control and funding have occurred since 2000, resulting in measurable decreases in lives lost. Last year, I was proud to take a leadership role in passing the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008. This law, coupled with the progress made under the President's Malaria Initiative and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and other sources, are successes to make us all proud.

"Madame Speaker, once again, I call on my colleagues to join me in recognizing World Malaria Day on April 25, 2009."