[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 173 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 173
Supporting the goals and ideals of World Malaria Day.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 10, 2025
Mr. Wicker (for himself and Mr. Coons) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting the goals and ideals of World Malaria Day.
Whereas April 25 of each year is recognized internationally as World Malaria
Day;
Whereas malaria is a leading cause of death and disease in many countries, with
nearly \1/2\ of all cases globally occurring in only 4 countries,
despite malaria being a preventable and treatable disease;
Whereas, in the 19th century, malaria was once a leading cause of death in the
United States;
Whereas malaria was finally eradicated in the 1950s, but United States citizens
still contract and die from malaria every year from traveling abroad;
Whereas, in 2023, there were an estimated 263,000,000 cases of malaria in 83
countries and 597,000 malaria-related deaths worldwide, with 94 percent
of those cases in Africa;
Whereas 2 decades of global progress in reducing malaria cases and deaths has
stalled in recent years;
Whereas young children and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to, and
disproportionately affected by, malaria, with children younger than 5
years of age accounting for 74 percent of malaria deaths each year;
Whereas, since 2000, global investments in malaria intervention programs
prevented an estimated 2,200,000,000 malaria cases and 12,700,000
malaria-related deaths;
Whereas the United States played a leading role in more than 2 decades of
progress toward reducing the global burden of malaria, particularly
through the President's Malaria Initiative and contributions to the
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria;
Whereas a record 45 countries and 1 territory have been certified malaria-free
and a number of high-burden countries have made remarkable progress,
such as--
(1) Rwanda, with 85 percent fewer cases since 2019;
(2) India, with 69 percent fewer cases since 2017; and
(3) Liberia, with 44 percent fewer cases since 2017;
Whereas, as of 2025, there is a suite of new and evolving tools that show great
promise in fighting malaria, including next-generation bed nets,
diagnostics and treatment, malaria vaccines for young children, spatial
repellants, and gene drive technologies;
Whereas recent progress against malaria has stalled due to biological threats,
such as insecticide and drug resistance, human factors such as conflict
and displacement, and other political and resource factors, which
threaten a significant increase in cases;
Whereas there is an average of 2,000 imported cases per year in the United
States due to United States citizens who travel, work, and are deployed
overseas;
Whereas fighting malaria makes the United States safer by--
(1) decreasing the risk of illness and death for United States citizens
who travel, work, and are deployed to endemic regions;
(2) preventing a resurgence of malaria in the United States, the risk
of which was illustrated by the local transmission of malaria in Florida,
Texas, and Maryland in 2023; and
(3) protecting United States servicemembers and their families abroad,
who frequently deploy to regions where malaria is endemic;
Whereas fighting malaria makes the United States stronger by--
(1) enhancing global stability by addressing a root cause of
destabilization, unrest, and terrorism that threatens United States
interests and security;
(2) countering the influence of the People's Republic of China in
strategic regions targeted by the Belt and Road Initiative; and
(3) bolstering United States global leadership, strengthening
alliances, and creating diplomatic leverage; and
Whereas fighting malaria makes the United States more prosperous by--
(1) driving United States-led innovation, including recent scientific
breakthroughs that benefit the United States;
(2) supporting universities, military-based research institutions,
faith-based organizations, and private-sector companies in the United
States that have been intrinsically involved, committed, and invested in
the fight against malaria;
(3) expanding markets for United States goods and services, with 1
recent estimate finding that United States exports would grow by
$1,480,000,000 if global malaria reduction targets are achieved by 2030;
(4) protecting United States taxpayers by preventing rather than
responding to outbreaks of malaria, as the median cost of protecting 1
person from malaria ranges from $0.53 to $5.97, while treatment for each
case of severe malaria costs approximately $145.23; and
(5) supporting United States businesses by creating stable markets that
are more favorable for United States investment: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) supports the goals and ideals of World Malaria Day;
(2) finds that it is in the national interest of the United
States to fight malaria;
(3) recognizes the importance of reducing malaria
prevalence and deaths to improve maternal and child health;
(4) commends progress made toward reducing global malaria
morbidity, mortality, and prevalence, particularly through the
efforts of the President's Malaria Initiative and the Global
Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria;
(5) supports efforts to reduce malaria case incidence and
mortality rates by not less than 90 percent by 2030;
(6) commends the efforts and achievements of endemic
countries in preventing and treating malaria and supports
efforts to increase local ownership over malaria programs with
the goal of ultimately graduating from aid to self-sufficiency;
(7) welcomes public-private partnerships to research and
develop more effective and affordable tools for malaria
prevention, diagnosis, and treatment; and
(8) supports and encourages continued leadership by the
United States in reducing the global burden of malaria through
bilateral, multilateral, and private sector efforts, including
through the President's Malaria Initiative and the Global Fund
to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
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