Developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America face a terrible health and human rights crisis: 500 million of their people get malaria every year, and over 1 million die.

A principal reason is that far too many “health” organizations refuse to fund or even permit the use of pesticides, especially DDT.

Kill Malarial Mosquitoes NOW! is a global campaign to change these policies and save lives. Please read our Declaration and endorse this bipartisan effort by people of conscience from every color, religion and political affiliation.

You would join two Nobel Peace Laureates, a co-founder of Greenpeace … the national chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality … physicians and scientists, including disease experts from Harvard, France, Thailand and the United States … admirals and generals … relief organization workers … rabbis, priests, pastors and religious leaders … business and political leaders … public policy experts … and many other concerned citizens from every continent.

Our goal is to convince the United States Congress, U.S. Agency for International Development, World Health Organization and other agencies that they must implement malaria control programs that work. That means they must include DDT and other insecticides, along with Artemisia-based combination therapies (ACT). Otherwise, millions will continue to die needlessly, year after year.

Specifically, we want the United States Congress to dedicate two-thirds of future malaria spending to these insecticides and ACT drugs that actually cure malaria.

Some may say this figure is too high. However, over the past decade, the USAID and other government agencies have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on “capacity building” and “technical assistance.” On talk. (In fact, the U.S. Agency for International Development will receive $105 million in 2006 for malaria control – but without prodding they will likely spend $0 on DDT. In 2004, it had a budget of $80 million, but spent just $4 million on bed nets, nothing on insecticides, a tiny amount on medicines, and over $60 million on conferences and consultants – and most of this was spent in the United States!)

Most of these agencies have spent virtually nothing on DDT, ACT drugs and other interventions that actually reduce malaria and save lives. The burden of proof is on our critics, to demonstrate why a different percentage is appropriate and necessary.

Please read the Declaration – and help lead the way to moral, humanitarian, life-saving and environmentally sound policies, by joining our coalition to Kill Malarial Mosquitoes NOW! For more information, please visit www.FightingMalaria.org

If you stand with us, please email your consent, title, affiliation and state or country of residence to pdriessen@cox.net

Please also consider recruiting other signatories whose support may help us attain our goal of stopping the unnecessary and unconscionable deaths of countless innocent children and parents in Africa and throughout the developing world.

Millions of people will be alive to thank you.

Paul Driessen

Senior policy advisor, Congress of Racial Equality, Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise