STATEMENT FROM PETER CHERNIN, CHAIRMAN OF MALARIA NO MORE, ON COMMITMENTS FROM SENATOR OBAMA AND SENATOR MCCAIN ON ENDING MALARIA DEATHS

New York, NEW YORK - Malaria No More applauds Senator Obama and Senator McCain for announcing at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Thursday morning their strong commitments to ending malaria deaths.

We are very pleased that Senator Obama announced his endorsement of the global malaria community's goal of ending malaria deaths by 2015. Through this endorsement, Senator Obama told the world that the United States must remain a leader in the fight. He has put forth a framework to ensure that we not only continue to make progress but, ultimately, eliminate malaria across the globe as we did in the U.S. in the 1950s.

In addition, we applaud Senator McCain for firmly stating that he was committed to building on the leadership role that the U.S. has played and would pledge to make malaria no more.

This is truly a landmark week in the global fight against malaria. We've witnessed unprecedented commitments from the private sector. We've had world leaders commit to act. And we have an agreed upon action plan to guarantee that investments made will continue to reap significant dividends. We have truly demonstrated that when the public and private sector work together, remarkable things can happen. 

There is no greater investment that we can make than an investment in the life of a child. The 3,000 children dying every day in Africa from malaria need our world leaders to stand strong and say that they not only care, but that they will act. They also need the support from the private sector and the countless children and families who are making a difference $10 at a time by donating a bed net. Together, we can turn the tragedy of malaria into hope and survival.

The Malaria No More Policy Center works to raise awareness and galvanize support to address the global fight against malaria, with specific focus on engaging policy leaders in the United States and the other G-8 nations in advancing efforts to defeat malaria worldwide.