March of Washingtons

28 Oct 2008
Africa Fighting Malaria In May 2008, Hedge Funds vs. Malaria and AFM launched the March of Washingtons - a grassroots effort focused on purchasing and testing malaria medication. Check out the March of Washingtons website at www.marchofwashingtons.org. So far, 90 organizations have signed on as Founding Partners to the March of Washingtons. Your organization can become a Founding Partner just by writing to us. We will publish an official March of Washingtons press release listing the first 100 organizations to join.

The World Health Organization estimates that of the one million deaths that occur from malaria each year, up to 200,000 would be avoidable if the drugs were effective, of good quality and used correctly. We want to make those 200,000 deaths disappear and help bring the other 800,000 down to zero by making sure every African child has access to safe and effective drugs. 

Here's the idea: George Washington had malaria. George Washington is on the one dollar bill. For every dollar we raise, we will buy a good quality and effective malaria treatment for a child in Africa AND conduct quality control testing of malaria drugs on the market. You collect the Washingtons, we buy the effective malaria drugs and conduct quality control tests.

Current estimates are:

Child malaria cases - 150 million
60 million child doses of ACT, the best malaria treatment being produced
We need about 90 million more

Fake and substandard malaria drugs are a big problem in Africa. AFM's recent research found that 35% of antimalarials sold in six major African cities failed basic quality control tests. This means a mother buying an antimalarial drug for her child has a 65% chance that it will work - we need to bring this up to 100%. 

Help in the fight against malaria by holding your own March of Washingtons. Then visit the March of Washingtons website to tell us about your event, upload your picture, and donate the Washingtons you raised. No march is too small - every march saves a life! Click here to download a March of Washingtons handout. 

Please invite your friends to take part in our group and please encourage them to host a March of Washingtons event today! 

You can also join our group on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=17178141045

Special thanks to all of our marchers!

Francois Maartens raised 70 Rand (equivalent to 9 Washingtons) in Durban, South Africa.







Philip Coticelli raised 25 Washingtons in Washington, DC.

 



Jasson Urbach raised 14 Washingtons in Durban, South Africa.











Patti Owens raised 2 Washingtons in Clarkston, MI.



Lindsay Skog raised 4 Washingtons in Madison, WI.

 



Kim Hess raised 3 Washingtons in Maryland.



Richard Tren raised 128 Washingtons in Washington, DC.



























 



Roger Bate raised 3 Washingtons in Washington, DC.



Andrew Hillis raised 5 Washingtons in Washington, DC.





Thomas Jefferson Middle School raised 50 Washingtons in Teaneck, NJ.

Taiwo Awosika raised 42 Washingtons in Baltimore, MD.


Africa Fighting Malaria raised 4 Washingtons in Washington, DC.

 

The Dale & Thomas/Syracuse University Sports Marketing Intern program raised 9 Washingtons in Syracuse, NY.



6 Washingtons were raised at a Starbucks in Englewood, NJ.


 
Government Relations Inc. raised 5 Washingtons in Washington, DC.