On October 27, the House passed, 385-2, a bill (S. 2943) designed to prevent malaria worldwide, sending the measure to the President. Sponsored by Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC), the bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent on October 19.
S. 2943 authorizes $50 million in each of FY2001 and FY2002 for international malaria prevention programs at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Additionally, the money may be used to coordinate tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS prevention programs.
The bill also instructs USAID to provide recipient countries with information concerning the development of vaccines and therapeutic agents, as well as information about clinical trials conducted in the United States, for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria.
