On April 28, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed, by unanimous consent, a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of World Malaria Day (S. Res. 436).
Sponsored by Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the measure notes that young children and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable and disproportionately affected by malaria.
Specifically, the measure also notes that malaria creates great risks to maternal and neonatal health, causing complications during delivery, anemia, and low birth weight. The resolution also notes “estimates indicate that malaria infection causes approximately 400,000 cases of severe maternal anemia and between 75,000 and 200,000 infant deaths annually in sub-Saharan Africa.”
The legislation recognizes the importance of reducing prevalence and deaths to improve overall child and maternal health, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, and “encourages other members of the international community to sustain and increase their support for and financial contributions to efforts to combat malaria worldwide.”
