(c) Geoff Ward

A huge range of activity took place around the world in the last few days to mark World Malaria Day. It would be impossible to cover it all but we wanted to share some of the highlights!

Local and global leaders spoke out about the pressing need to maintain the momentum. Ban Ki-moon UN Secretary General issued a World Malaria Day message. with the news he is making malaria is a key priority for his second term. The Prime Minister spoke of the leadership role of the UK in the fight against malaria; and former Prime Minister

Annemarie Meyer reports back from Dromankuma, Ashanti Region, Ghana

Volunteers Rashida and Wisdom tell Annemarie the follow up malaria messages they are providing to the community (c) Geoff Ward

“Sleeping under an insecticide treated mosquito net every night is a simple way to help protect you from malaria.” This was the message conveyed by local volunteers, faith and community leaders during a net distribution campaign we supported in October 2011, targeting the whole of Dromankuma community in Ghana.

Through distributing and hanging 2,694 long lasting insecticide treated nets to help protect 4,106 people, the campaign has successfully increased the number of people able to sleep under a net from less than 2% to over 99% across the entire community – a huge achievement.

I visited the community four months after the nets were distributed, and it was fantastic to see what a difference the campaign has made. Everyone I met was using a net donated by the campaign and no one reported having malaria since!

Aloe met 22 year old Rashida, an expectant Mum whose family had suffered from malaria, they now all sleep safely under mosquito nets (c) Geoff Ward

Today sees the launch of a short film showcasing our recent trip to Ghana with Aloe Blacc. Aloe took time out from his tour schedule to witness the efforts underway to meet Ghana’s goal to make sure every home in the country has access to a mosquito net by the end of 2012.

Aloe will be sharing his story with people across the world through interviews with Sir David Frost tonight on Aljazeera, on CNN on Tuesday and on the BBC World Service’s breakfast show The World Today on World Malaria Day, 25 April. He has also written an in depth blog for the Huffington Post.

Sarah Kline, Ray Chambers & Alan Court

By Alan Court

I chair Roll Back Malaria’s Resource Mobilisation Committee which is charged with identifying where the funding will come from in the global fight against malaria. This week I have been in the UK to give evidence at two sessions at the House of Commons in Parliament on behalf of Roll Back Malaria.

The British Government is the second largest international donor for malaria – after the United States – and the support of Members of Parliament (MPs) is critical to helping ensure the British Government sustains its funding for malaria.

See where people are Living Below the Line this May.

It’s not long now until we’ll be Living Below the Line. We’re excited that over 100 people so far have pledged to live on £1 a day for 5 days for Malaria No More UK from 7 – 11 May. Between them they’ve already raised almost £5,000 to help save lives from malaria in Africa. You can track their progress on our fundraiser leader board on the Live Below the Line website.

Some supporters have done the challenge early, like our Programme and Policy Manager Annemarie Meyer, who blogged about her experience recently on the Huffington Post. Annemarie brought a great perspective to the Challenge. She’s only recently returned from a trip to Ghana where she met some of the people who are benefitting from a mosquito net distribution campaign that should provide everyone in that country access to a net by the end of the year. It is just this type of work that Live Below the Line participants are raising money to help through their sponsorship.

We are delighted to be collaborating with The Africa Channel, the entertainment network delivering award-winning content 24 hours a day, inspired by Africa, on Sky.

In the run up to World Malaria Day, The Africa Channel is broadcasting a mini series profiling two Ghanaians as they share their personal perspectives on fighting malaria. We filmed them in February to show how their community in Dromokuma, Ghana’s Ashanti Region, is part of the country wide effort to make sure every home has a mosquito net by the end of 2012.

By Rob Henchoz

My friend Richard Atherton and I are keen car enthusiasts and rally drivers. We decided to raise money for Malaria No More UK because having lived in Angola and worked on the West coast of Africa we saw the effects of malaria on both locals and expats. The aim to eliminate the disease is clearly achievable with some financial commitment.

We joined the London to Cape Town race in January 2012 in our Volvo 144 which we dubbed “the Camel”. We left the UK on a filthy New Years Day – I got a shoe full of water before we started! Lots of Volvo owners and customers turned up to see us off which was fantastic, including supporters from both our car clubs: The Sporting Car Club of Norfolk and Chelmsford Motor Club.

Aloe, Esther & Maya (c) Geoff Ward

I arrived in Accra with an open mind, ready to experience and learn about life in a small village in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Malaria No More UK were kind enough to host Aloe and I on this trip to help bring awareness about malaria in Ghana. It enabled us to see firsthand the work that Malaria No More UK and their partners are doing in fight against this preventable and treatable disease.

So here’s the facts:

• 100% of Ghana’s 24 million people are at risk
• Malaria accounts for over a third of all hospital visits

Sheena Napier, Usman Nawaz, Ravjeet Singh, Rosemarie Mallett, Jeremy Burko, Kiran Bali, Annabelle Knight & Charlotte Dando

Earlier this month Charlotte Dando and Usman Nawaz, Faiths Act Fellows of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation based here at Malaria No More UK brought together members from seven different faith traditions to share a low budget lunch and discuss the importance of interfaith work in the fight against poverty and malaria. This lunch party ‘with a twist’ was in support of the Live Below the Line campaign. We’re a major partner for this charity challenge taking place in May which aims to raise funds and awareness for the fight against extreme poverty.

The lunch was hosted at the National Bahá’í Centre in London and was attended by Kiran Bali MBE, a leading Hindu interfaith activist, Ravjeet Singh, Director of United Sikhs, Chazzan Jeremy Burko from the Jewish clergy leadership team at the New North London Synagogue, Annabel Knight, from the Office of Public Affairs of the Bahá’ís of UK, Sheena Napier, of the London Buddhist Vihara and Reverend Dr Rosemarie Mallett of South London’s St. John the Evangelist church who has lived in Africa and suffered herself from malaria. Usman also joined the lunch bringing a Muslim perspective to the table.

Students at Durham spell out the challenge

Fifteen intrepid students from Hull and Durham Universities have been living on a budget of just £1 a day for all food and drink for five days over the last fortnight.

They have been previewing Live Below the Line – an innovative campaign to fight extreme poverty. It challenges the British public to get sponsored for charities including ourselves to live on just £1 a day for all food and drink from 7-11 May 2012. This budget is the daily reality for 1.4 billion people around the world who are forced to live below the poverty line every day, for everything.