American Idol Helps Fight Malaria

Miley Cyrus sings at the Idol Gives Back charity event.
Photo: Getty Images/Frank Micelotta/American Idol

I never imagined I'd be blogging about American Idol on my insects site. I have to give them props this week, though, for putting the fight against malaria front and center. The Idol Gives Back charity event raised over 70 million dollars for six different charities, including Malaria No More.

Every 30 seconds, a child in Africa dies from malaria. While malaria is successfully controlled or eliminated in many parts of the world, in Africa, malaria infections have increased in the last 30 years. Abundant mosquitoes, drug resistance, and a lack of adequate health care contribute to this rise.

Most people know that mosquitoes and malaria are linked, but it's actually a parasite carried by the mosquito and transferred between humans that causes the malaria infection. Symptoms of malaria appear in 9-14 days, and include headache, fever, vomiting, and other ailments similar to the flu. Left untreated, or if the infection is resistant to drugs, the victim may lapse into a coma, suffer severe anemia, or die.

A $10 solution can drastically reduce the spread of malaria in Africa, and you can help. Malaria-carrying mosquitoes bite at night, mostly between 10 pm and 4 am. Studies show that use of insecticide-treated bed nets can reduce transmission as much as 90% in areas with high coverage rates. Several organizations distribute thousands of these life-saving bed nets throughout Africa's worst hit countries, with the help of donated funds. Just 10 bucks can save a family from an insect-borne disease that kills more than a million people each year.

Where to Donate:
• Malaria No More
• Nothing But Nets

If you missed the Idol Gives Back event, you can download all the performances exclusively on iTunes.