Dr. Paul Spiegel Discusses Malaria in Washington DC
 

Attendees at An Evening with Paul Spiegel
On October 20th, 2008 USA for UNHCR hosted an evening with Dr. Paul Spiegel, the UN Refugee Agency’s chief of public health and a professor at Tulane and Johns Hopkins Universities. Dr. Spiegel and guests discussed UNHCR’s fight against malaria among refugee populations worldwide.  His presentation was followed by refreshments at the Addison/Ripley Fine Arts Gallery, where participants enjoyed the art of Mary Page Evans. Guests included UNHCR staff, State Department officials and health policy academics among other supporters of our work.

Malaria is one of the world’s deadliest diseases. It kills more than one million people in Africa each year and is one of the leading causes of child deaths in Darfur. The toll this illness takes on entire communities is all the more tragic because it is preventable and treatable with our help. Dr. Spiegel explained some of the reasons why refugees are especially vulnerable to malaria and highlighted the success that UNHCR and other UN agencies are having in reaching UN goals toward the eradication of the disease. Long-lasting insecticide treated bednets, more effective medication and community education are some of the key tools used in UNHCR’s efforts and were discussed in detail.

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