I have lived in Senegal for many years,   and during that time , I literally witnessed many people become infected , ill and ultimately die from malaria . Malaria is a blood born disease transmitted by the female mosquito called anophele . Infected individuals present a flux like symptom that may lead to coma and death. Each year nearly 2milliions people die from malaria and 90% of the victims are sub-Saharan Africans and mainly children under five years old and pregnant women. In Senegal  alone over 150 people continue to die each day.

Recent studies have shown that populations that are located in high altitude are more exposed to the disease. the mountainous terrain in the region of kedougou, Senegal makes it very difficult to evacuate individuals who have malaria to the nearest medical center, sometimes located 50 to 100 km away. It is difficult During the month of August, 2008, while i conducting a documentary on the living conditions of people living on the mountains, I helped a farmer carry his 5 year old daughter in coma down the mountain, but the little girl ,unfortunately died in the hands of her father after waiting for nearly 2 hours on the roadside for a vehicle passing by. This difficult experience has sparked a new conscience in me to take action now by calling on everyone to help reduce malaria death in this particular region of the continent of Africa : Senegal.

According to WHO( world health organization), insecticide treated bed net are the cheapest and most effective means to prevent malaria. The solution may seem easy  for us in western countries , but difficult for these population who mostly live under a dollar a day to afford a 10dollar mosquito bed net. Until effective actions are taken , a child will die every 30 second from malaria in the third world just because his or her family is too poor to afford a bed net that cost 10 dollars.

Thank you,

Omar Gueye
President/Founder
Against Malaria and Illiteracy (Project AMI)