These are the faces of Uganda. These are also the faces of malaria. Tomorrow is World Malaria day. Since 2000, this day has been set aside to raise awareness and funding to reduce malaria illnesses and deaths in many countries. At Sweet Sleep we talk about malaria and the profound effect it has on children every day. Our Nickels for Nets program has provided life saving malaria nets for thousands of children since we began the program after the Haiti earthquake in 2010.
Why nets?
At least 90% of deaths from the mosquito-born illness of malaria occur in Africa but only 5% of households in Africa have gotten life saving Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs). Sweet Sleep’s work to provide mosquito nets to orphanages in Uganda is vital to the health and lives of the country’s 4 million orphaned children.
- Malaria kills a child somewhere in the world every 30 seconds.
- Nearly 1 in 5 of all childhood deaths is caused from malaria.
- Sleeping under insecticide treated nets can reduce overall child mortality by 20%.
- Evidence shows that Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs), when used consistently and correctly, can save six child lives—per year—for every one thousand children sleeping under them.