There is a disease that annually sickens over half a billion people and kills one million, mostly children. By the turn of the century, this disease will be the world’s most deadly contagion.

It isn’t AIDS or Ebola or SARS. It’s malaria, a devious parasite that kills a child in Africa every 30 seconds, despite it being both a preventable and treatable disease.

World Malaria Day is an opportunity for malaria-free countries to learn about the devastating consequences of the disease and for new donors to join a global partnership against malaria.

The second World Malaria Day on April 25th, 2009, marks a critical moment in time. The international malaria community has merely two years to meet the 2010 target of achieving universal coverage with all malaria interventions as called for by the UN.

What can you do to help the fight against malaria?

• Get educated Before you can become an effective advocate against malaria, you first need to understand malaria from the ground up.
• Get the word out Global awareness about malaria is on the rise and helping to promote investments in ending malaria’s devastating impact in Africa.
• Sign the Malaria No More Proclamation to show President Obama and Congress that you want to see them reaffirm their commitments to end malaria deaths by 2015 and fully fund anti-malaria programs and relief efforts.