After watching the film "When the Night Comes" (trailer above) at the Long Beach Art Theatre on Thursday, it came as a surprise to me as to how bad the malaria epidemic had been in the United States (see the video below).
The World Health Organization had planned to end malaria worldwide in the early 1900s, however, due to insufficient funding from some of the top nations -- because most had already rid malaria in their regions -- the plan was halted. Well now, with the help of President Barack Obama's initiative to end malaria by 2015, malaria is getting the media attention it deserves. Killing 1 million people a year, malaria-related deaths outnumber the death tolls of any world war and any disease to hit this planet. It is also one of oldest parasites, and is said to have evolved with humans and our primate ancestors. Some research suggest malaria-infected mosquitos have been around for more than 50,000 years.
April 25 has been declared Malaria Awareness Day and thousands of people all of the world will be camping outside with their mosquito nets, which will be donated to those in need in Africa, as it is the No. 1 way to prevent transmission. Click here to find out about how to participate in the campout on April 25.
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