As 2015 draws closer, the Millennium Development Goals are becoming more attainable than ever before. One of the critical pieces of the Millennium Development Goals is the fight against malaria.  Success in that fight has produced RESULTS across the board.

Check out this new video from the Malaria No More Policy Center, demonstrating the myriad successes that the world has seen from the tremendous efforts against malaria so far:

While these statistics represent real lives that are being impacted by the progress in the fight against malaria, it must also be remembered that these results are not irreversible. The global community must push forward and advance these gains in order to end malaria deaths in Africa by 2015.

Learn more from the Malaria No More Policy Center here.

In a joint op-ed in today’s Wall Street Journal, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni speak out against the detrimental effects of African taxes and tariffs on goods that help control malaria. In the midst of the 15th African Union Summit in Kampala, these two leading members of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) penned the article to encourage other African nations to help lift the burden of malaria by lifting taxes and tariffs that stand between the tools that can help end malaria and the families that so desperately need them.

Kikwete and Museveni note the incredible impact that this simple step has had in their own countries:

Several years ago, when we removed taxes and tariffs on all anti-malaria commodities, the cost of mosquito nets sold in local markets decreased, local demand for nets increased, and more small businesses entered the market to produce and supply these essential commodities. Since then, our countries have increased access to anti-malaria commodities and have become significant manufacturers of insecticide-treated nets that are exported to other African countries. Tax and tariff removal can, therefore, be good for Africa’s people and good for African entrepreneurs.

In addition, the Presidents emphasize the importance of careful and diligent quality control at customs, in order to ensure that African nations stay one step ahead of dangerous counterfeit drugs that could compromise the Continent’s success in the fight against malaria.

This op-ed—and the countless examples of leadership—demonstrates the commitment and dedication of governments across Africa to end malaria deaths by 2015 and signal a new future for a bustling Continent. With Presidents like Kikwete and Museveni leading the way, that goal is closer than ever.

Read the full article in the Wall Street Journal.

Tune in Monday, July 26 at 9 a.m. (EST) to the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) press conference at www.alma2015.org.

ALMA will convene at the African Union Summit in Kampala, where leaders plan to address solutions for overcoming barriers to effective malaria control. Convened by His Excellency President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of the United Republic of Tanzania, ALMA is also meeting to ensure the UN Secretary-General’s goal of universal access to malaria control interventions by the end of 2010 and an end to malaria-related deaths by 2015 is met.

Findings from the meeting will be presented at the press conference, which will be accessible to all of you.

You don’t want to miss out!

In anticipation of next week’s G8 Summit, the Toronto Star reports that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper arranged a meeting with Dr. Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.

Dr. Kazatchkine left the meeting feeling optimistic about Harper’s commitment to the Fund, noting that, “The very fact he could arrange a meeting at this time, two weeks prior to the G8 is clearly a strong sign of support to the Global Fund and to global health.”

Dr. Kazatchkine also took care to emphasize that it is time for the G8 nations to “take ownership” and live up to their commitments with the intention of achieving real goals, in terms of lives saved, by 2015. Some nations, such as Italy, have fallen behind on meeting the financial commitments they made five years ago in the wake of the global economic downturn.

“If the effort could be sustained and expanded, that could lead to a world without malaria deaths by 2015 and to a huge impact on maternal and child health like virtual elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV,” said Dr. Kazatchkine. “That is the kind of goal that a few years ago would appear as ideal or utopia but we know could be achieved now if the resources could be sustained or expanded.”

The G8 has committed its support of the fight against malaria in years past and the malaria community will be paying attention to this year’s summit to track progress.

In Africa, malaria and maternal health are inextricably linked. Pregnant women are more vulnerable to being bitten by a malarial mosquito and hundreds of thousands of mothers suffer from malaria every year. This video shows how, by helping end malaria, we can help mothers across Africa celebrate Mother’s Day every day.

Malaria and Maternal & Child Health from Emily Bergantino on Vimeo.

Peter Chernin, Chairman of Malaria No More and a member of the Board of Director for Friends of the Global Fight against AIDS, Tuberculosis and malaria, wrote an op-ed for Politico.com called “Winning the Fight Against Malaria“.

Peter lays out the case for U.S. support of the fight against malaria in Africa and talks about his own trip to Tanzania in January of this year. During this trip,  he saw first-hand how U.S. funding is fueling real progress in the effort to end malaria deaths:

We are making great strides in fighting malaria.This was clear during my recent visit to Tanzania. I had heard about the success there, but it wasn’t until I looked at the hospital admissions book in Zanzibar that I saw how big the change was: only one malaria diagnosis in the past six months.

Just a few years ago, the clinic administrator said, there would have been 1,500 cases over the same period.

Read the full op-ed here. Learn more about Malaria No More’s efforts to make the case for U.S. government leadership in the fight against malaria at the Malaria Policy Center’s website.

In the lead up to World Malaria Day, Malaria No More is joining with partners from the United Against Malaria campaign and encouraging the public to send a strong message to World Leaders asking them to end malaria deaths in Africa by 2015.

Join Malaria No More by adding your name to the millions of people worldwide who refuse to accept a single death from malaria. On April 20, United Against Malaria will deliver a strong message to world leaders asking them to end malaria deaths in Africa by 2015.  We need your help!

Sign the petition here to pledge your support!

United Against Malaria is a partnership of football teams and heroes, celebrities, health and advocacy organizations, governments, corporations, and people like you who have united ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa to win the fight against malaria. By leveraging football/soccer, UAM aims to raise global awareness and renew worldwide commitment to ending malaria, as well as increase the use of prevention tools and malaria treatment in Africa.

Starting on Monday, March 29th, USAID is bringing together leaders in development from across the globe for an international conversation about some of the biggest world issues: education, womens’ rights, science and technology and, of course global health.

One of the featured speakers for Global Pulse 2010 will be Youssou Ndour, MNM board member and global advocate for malaria control. Youssou will join the conversation on Wednesday, March 31 at 2pm EST. Be sure to register today to ask him your questions about his work on malaria and his leadership of the “Xeex Sibbiru” (“Fight Malaria”) campaign in his home country of Senegal.

Global Pulse 2010 is a 3-day, online collaboration event, that will bring together individual socially-engaged participants and organizations from around the world. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is sponsoring the Global Pulse 2010, in partnership with the Departments of State, Education, Commerce, and Health and Human Services.

The Islands of Zanzibar are winning the battle against malaria, reducing malaria cases to under 1% thanks to the aggressive and committed action of the National Malaria Control Program and the support of governments around the world. Malaria No More traveled to Zanzibar to help tell this incredible story: