The Next President Could Save A Million Lives A Year

Nicholas Kristof's latest column exhorts the next president to commit to UNICEF's goal to reduce the number of children under five who die from malaria worldwide from 10 million every year to 4 million. He tells the story of an 8-month-old Sudanese baby boy named Karlo who, thanks to an "achingly simple and inexpensive" treatment program, survived malaria. In detailing the potential impact that U.S. assistance can have on children suffering from cureable diseases like malaria, Kristof emphasizes the resounding impact that the election of next president of the United States will have across the world.

African children like Karlo may actually have more at stake in the outcome of the presidential election than children in the United States. Just imagine if the next president were to wage a serious war on malaria. At a tiny fraction of the cost of the war in Iraq (or a war on Iran!) such a campaign would save millions of lives and be a huge boost to African economies whose productivity is sapped by diseases.

Kristof sees hope for such an effort in 2009. He also gives a significant plug to our friends at the ONE Campaign for their excellent work ratcheting up the pressure on candidates to commit to fighting poverty and improving global health.

Fortunately, all the candidates are saying the right things about malaria, AIDS and support for education in Africa (although John McCain is fuzzier about commitments). You can compare the candidates’ positions on global humanitarian issues at www.onevote08.org.

Voters should remember this: A president may or may not be able to improve schools or protect manufacturing jobs in Ohio, but a president probably could help wipe out malaria. Compared with other challenges a president faces, saving a million children’s lives a year is the low-hanging fruit.

The trick, of course, is convincing would-be presidents that combating malaria in Africa is a pressing goal for their administration. Aid, as Kristof admits, can be "devilishly difficult," but, done right, it can both improve America's standing in the world and save valuable lives.

Tell the candidates that fighting malaria must be an important item on their presidential agenda, and, while you're at it, check out On Day One's sister organization, Nothing But Nets, for a simple and cost-effective way to save even more lives threatened by malaria.