Presentation of a cheque for £1500 towards the REMIT programme

Presentation of a cheque for £1500 towards the REMIT programme.

 Members of the Rotary Club of Bishop's Stortford heard from PDG Sandra Allen about the REMIT programme at their lunchtime meeting at Bishop's Stortford Golf Club.

REMIT, standing for Rotarians Eliminating Malaria in Tanzania, came into being in 2003 with the objective of attempting to control Malaria in Tanzania, the most affected country on the African continent. Those most at risk of being infected by the anopheles mosquito are pregnant women and children under 5 years old. Half a billion people contract malaria every year of whom 3 million will die of which many are children, In Tanzania alone 100,000 children die every year. Members heard that the root cause is the proliferation of the mosquitoes in the swampy areas where they breed unchecked. Funds are urgently required for the purchase of insecticide treated nets that give people protection at night when the mosquitoes are most active. Other initiatives in the programme are the clearance of swampy areas, funding symposia for entomologists and providing training for local workers to sustain the programme. It is known that malaria, caused by infection and not by a virus, will never be wiped out totally. But it can be contained. Since 2003 there has been a 64% reduction in the incidence of Malaria in those areas where REMIT is in place.  A cheque for £1500 towards the REMIT programme was presented during the meeting.

"Service above Self"