Mr. Speaker, this Saturday will be the second anniversary of World Malaria Day.
Malaria is a treatable and preventable illness that still affects half a billion of the world's population and kills nearly a million people each year.This disease is hardest felt by young children in Africa where 86% of cases occur.
Every 30 seconds a child dies of malaria, and each of those deaths is avoidable. Malaria is not expensive to treat and is even cheaper to prevent, yet the places that suffer the most at the hands of this disease cannot afford the treatment.
I believe it is our duty as citizens of the world to speak up, raise awareness and most important, provide the tools to combat this scourge of humanity.
One of the best ways of preventing malaria is through treated mosquito nets. I urge all Canadians to log on to buyanet.ca and donate to this vital cause. Already, 50,000 nets have been donated.
Together we can eradicate malaria forever.