April 24th was World Malaria Day. Malaria, a mosquito-borne disease, kills approximately one million people each year. While the disease is not a problem anymore in many areas of the world, other areas are still very vulnerable to this disease. Most of the cases (9 out of 10) occur in Africa, with 90 percent of the population being at risk. Most of those that die from malaria in Africa are children and women.
Malaria can be controlled with quick and effective treatment for patients as well as the use of insecticide and mosquito nets. World Malaria Day was created in 2000 at a summit by African leaders. In 2007, the Malaria Elimination in Africa by 2010 Campaign was launched. This year, several celebrities have pledged to help bring this wish to reality.
No doubt buoyant after his defeat of CNN on Twitter this past week, Ashton Kutcher pledged $100,000 to help end malaria. Kutcher won the money from CNN after he bet the network that he would get one million Twitter followers before the network did. Now, if you are thinking Kutcher is a bit cheap in donating money he won, fear not. His wife, Demi Moore has pledged $200,000 as did talk show megastar Oprah Winfrey. CNN is actually coughing up $200,000 itself for the cause – the $100,000 lost to Kutcher and an additiona $100,000. Ryan Seacrest also pledged $100,000.
While it seems as if Ted Turner, the founder of CNN, was a good sport about the race and bet, he has challenged Kutcher and his million followers to raise even more money. Turner has said that if $100,000 more is raised (which will go strictly for nets), he will invited Kutcher and Moore to his home for dinner.
Music great Quincy Jones, along with other officials and policymakers, kicked off the One World Against Malaria Campaign last Friday to help provide treatment and tools, but also education to people about malaria.