World Mosquito Day: History
World Mosquito Day is an annual observance held on August 20th to raise awareness about the impact of mosquito-borne diseases, particularly malaria. On this day, we pause to recognize the discovery made by Sir Ronald Ross in 1897, that mosquitos are the source of the deadly parasites that cause malaria. This discovery revolutionized our knowledge of the disease and led to new preventive measures and treatments to combat the disease.
Through various initiatives and community engagement, World Mosquito Day aims to promote mosquito control practices, educate the public, and support research in the fight against mosquito-borne illnesses.
World Mosquito Day: Get Involved
Ready to take action on World Mosquito Day? Here are a few ways to get involved:
• Raise Awareness: Share information about World Mosquito Day with friends, family, and colleagues. Educate others about the impact of mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and the importance of mosquito control. View communication resources from the CDC here.
• Support Fundraising Efforts: Support organizations like Malaria Partners International that are actively working to combat mosquito-borne diseases. Donating to these causes contributes to their efforts.
• Use Social Media: Share informative and inspiring posts related to World Mosquito Day and mosquito-borne diseases. Utilize hashtags like #WorldMosquitoDay and #EndMalaria to join us in the global conversation. View our social media platforms below:
Malaria Partners International: Our Efforts
On World Mosquito Day, let’s remember that mosquitos may be tiny, but their impact is large.
The malaria parasite attacks and kills red blood cells which carry oxygen to all the cells in the human body. This causes severe anemia which can quickly become deadly, especially in small children and pregnant women. In literally a matter of hours, malaria can progress to the point where treatment becomes ineffectual.
At Malaria Partners international, our efforts focus on advocacy in malaria-endemic countries, within Rotary, and across the global NGO network.
Through our Small Grants Program, we enable Rotary Clubs in malaria-endemic regions to directly address the spread of malaria within their communities. Each project adopts the most up-to-date malaria control practices and establishes measurable and attainable goals.
This is why Malaria Partners International (MPI) is working with malaria control agencies in endemic countries to train, equip and sustain Community Health Workers (CHWs) who work right in their own rural villages to bring testing, diagnosis and treatment of malaria close to home. No longer do mothers have to carry sick children on their backs long distances to rural health clinics. CHWs will come to them – in their own homes – to care for their sick family members.