Fighting Malaria Key to Achieving Millennium Promise
African Leaders Gather in Tokyo to Urge Action Against Malaria, the Leading Killer of African Children Yokohama, Japan (PRWEB) May 28, 2008 -- In anticipation of the upcoming G8 meeting to be held in Japan in July, health leaders and malaria awareness ambassadors will join together at the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in an effort to urge world leaders to fulfill their pledges at the 2007 Gleneagles Summit for $60 billion in new funding to fight malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis. Press conference to call for action on the disease:
Wednesday, 28 May 2008, 09.30 - 10.30h TICAD, Pacifico Yokohama - Media Center Financing malaria control will be a commanding theme at TICAD. African leaders will address the burden of malaria within the human security segment of the conference, signaling global impacts that hamper Africa's economic development.
"With united voices from Africa, from the Americas, from Europe, and from Asia, we're asking the G8 leaders, in particular Japan, to fulfill the pledges made at previous G8 summits to fight malaria. Millions of lives depend on it." said Yvonne Chaka Chaka, international music icon and Roll Back Malaria (RBM) and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
Youssou N'dour, Grammy-winning Senegalese artist and Goodwill Ambassador to the Roll Back Malaria Partnership and UNICEF, stressed, "There can be no breakthrough in Africa's development and prosperity without first addressing malaria. Last time the G8 met in Japan, the Global Fund was created. This year's G8 is the place for another visionary commitment: a G8 call for the elimination of malaria. African leaders, please insist on universal coverage in the fight against malaria." The TICAD press conference on malaria will be attended by the following speakers:
- Professor Brian Greenwood - Noguchi Africa Prize winner 2008,
London University, School of Hygiene, and Tropical Medicine
- Jun Yamazaki, Deputy Director-General of Global Issues, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Professor Awa Marie Coll-Seck, RBM Executive Director
- Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Singer, RBM Goodwill Ambassador
- Youssou N'Dour, Singer, RBM and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
N'dour will also highlight the "Me Too" campaign, a joint public campaign organized by Africa Japan Forum, JOICFP, Oxfam Japan and World Vision Japan, to mobilize the public around the call on the Japanese government for strong leadership as the chair of this year's G8 to bring about more and better aid to help achieve Millennium Development Goals 4, 5, 6, and health system strengthening.###
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