Malaria and Africa Fighting Malaria / March of Washingtons Saves Lives $1 at a Time

March of Washingtons Saves Lives $1 at a Time

 
 

Washington, D.C. – Hedge Funds vs. Malaria and Africa Fighting Malaria launched the March of Washingtons today, the first and only grassroots fundraising effort to buy high quality malaria drugs for African children.

 
 

“It’s this simple: George Washington had malaria, and he’s on the one dollar bill,” said Lance Laifer, founder of Hedge Funds vs. Malaria. “Just one dollar can buy malaria medicine for a child in Africa. You collect the Washingtons, we buy the drugs.”

 
 

The two groups estimate that there are approximately 150 million child malaria cases per year. Pharmaceutical companies are producing approximately 60 million child doses of Artemisinin Combo Therapy (ACT), the most effective anti-malaria drug. 90 million more ACTs are needed to close the gap.

 
 

“It’s unconscionable that hundreds of thousands of children die each year from a curable disease,” said Richard Tren, Director of Africa Fighting Malaria. “Even survivors miss school and can suffer brain damage. It doesn’t have to be this way.”

 
 

Hedge Funds vs. Malaria and AFM have held Marches of Washingtons in New Jersey and Washington DC. They are calling for individuals and groups around the world to hold their own marches. No march is too small. Just one Washington can save a child’s life.

 
 

Half of all donations will support Africa Fighting Malaria’s Safe Drugs Project to test for substandard drugs, as reviewed by the New York Times. Fifty cents of every dollar will be used to buy at least one full child treatment of ACT.