Rotarians Against Malaria (RAM)

Rotarians Against Malaria in Australia (RAM) work to achieve the following objective:

“The prevention of mortality, and a reduction in morbidity and social and economic loss caused by malaria through a progressive improvement and strengthening of local and national capabilities in malaria control.”

Malaria is one of the biggest killers in the world today, attacking some of our most vulnerable communities and contributing significantly to the untold suffering and sustained poverty of more than forty per cent (40%) of the world’s population.

The malaria parasite is carried by the Anopheles mosquito which is a tough adversary.

Much funding worldwide has been provided for research into the development of vaccines and the establishment of malaria control programmes.

http://www.facebook.com/ram.australia

Check Presentation concerning New Guinea August 2012 (pdf download)

Read the latest RAM Newsletter September 2012 (pdf download)

 

RAM provides leadership, financial and strategic support to implement its mission through:

Control Strategies;
Education;
Research;
Partnering with other funding providers; and
Working collaboratively with Governments in our Region (Solomon Islands,
Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste).

 

RAM is working on this combination of ways of combating malaria as we recognize that no one
approach in isolation will be successful.

The University of Queensland has been given a grant from Bill Gates of $7m. to develop a
vaccine for mosquitoes thus preventing them transferring viruses.

Adopt a Village (AAV)

One of the best ways of preventing malaria is to avoid coming in contact with mosquitoes. This can be achieved by sleeping under a treated mosquito net. Treated bed nets have been shown to be over 70% effective in reducing the incidence of malaria in those areas in which they are able to be used.

The RAM Adopt A Village Funding Coordinator, PDG Richmond Manyweathers, advised in July 2012 that total contributions towards the work of RAM for all projects since we commenced the Adopt A Village program in 2003 are $1,270,825.96. This excludes the many Matching Grants and the two very large 3-H Grants in the Solomons.


FUNDS ALLOCATED TO PROJECTS SINCE RAM INITIATED AAV (2003)
PNG $867,894.35
Solomons $195,708.34
Timor Leste $134,020.42
D.9810 Special Project in Timor-Leste $14,850.00
MAD $1,035.40
General $57,317.45

We have to raise $100,000 to fill that container of LLINs (referred to in the Timor Leste Update below). We're getting much closer, but still have a way to go. So, when anyone is interested in donating to Adopt A Village, ask that the donation be directed to Timor Leste.

Africa is the most endemic of malaria affected countries with 43 countries suffering illness
and death. Some 350 million insecticide nets have been distributed over the past three
years. Residual spraying is also proving effective. Some countries are reporting reductions
of 50% in confirmed malaria cases.

The flagship RAM program is the very successful bed netting program which is a highly
effective preventative strategy. In Papua New Guinea a program being run for the next five years
will ensure that everyone can sleep under an appropriate Long Lasting Insecticide Treated bed
net (LLIN). In addition funds will be available for the treatment of malaria victims using
Artemisinen Combination Therapy or ACT. ACT is a very effective drug treatment but its
widespread use is restricted by its cost.

 

Very significant grants from the Global Fund are supporting the bed netting program in both
Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands for the next few years (from 2010) with the Australian
Government providing additional support in the Solomon Islands. However, Adopt A Village is
the means of ensuring this program is sustained and guaranteed into the future.

Women in Papua New Guinea manufacuring mosquito nets which will protect against Malaria infection.

Rotary in Australia developed the “Adopt a Village” programme in 2004, initially for PNG but extended it to cover the Solomon Islands in 2005.

Donors could “Adopt a Village” , a small village may cost $1,000, a medium size village may cost $2,000 and a large village may cost $3,000. This donation allowed every man, woman and child in your adopted village the opportunity to sleep under a Life SavingTreated Bed net each night.

Its success in PNG has resulted in some areas of the country becoming virtually free of the disease.

In the Western and Choiseul Provinces of the Solomon Islands where a Rotary International Grants were focused, a reduction in the incidence of malaria occurred from about 330 cases per 1,000 head of population per year to less than 80 cases per 1,000 per year,

It relies heavily on the cooperation of local National Health Departments and the input of Rotarians from both around Australia and within local communities.

Check these links ---

To find out more about RAWCS RAM projects:

Check the RAM Australia Website http://www.ramaustralia.org/

RAM New Guinea website http://www.ram.com.pg

The Global Fund http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/

To donate to RAM and save lives:

To donate to RAM through RAWCS click here