19:30 Evening Meeting

Rotarian Alan Hollands talk to the club about REMIT, Rotarians Eliminating Malaria in Tanzania which aises funds for equipment, education, and research into malaria.

The project started in 2003/2004 by an inspirational Rotarian who saw the need when visiting the country to eliminate this dreadful disease.

Malaria, was listed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as one of the most deadly diseases for mankind.  In 2012, 627,000 deaths resulted from malaria.  It came out as a top hits in their list of dangerous animals and insects.  3000 Coffin is a day are required in Africa just to bury those who have died from the disease.

In setting out to make a difference, the project resolves to improve education amongst those living in the area where malaria is prevalent, helping to plant plants that discourage mosquitoes from the area, supports genetic research to mutate the mosquitoes responsible, and provide vaccines research the cure people in future.  Working with Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine they have been extremely successful.

Alan explain the various ways in which malarial mosquitoes can be prevented from breeding or carrying the parasite internally and in so doing reducing significantly population that can carry the disease.

They also work with Tanzanian locals to produce, insecticide impregnated nets to hang over their beds at night to protect them against bites.  This is made a significant difference reducing the rate of transmission of the disease.

The best intervention is to provide Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN's) for poor people. The hardest hit are the children under 5 and pregnant women. Everyone benefits from malaria control, the poor benefit the most.

ITN's lower malaria by 80%.

It is REMIT's goal to get an ITN to every pregnant woman and child under five in Tanzania.

The cost to save a life =