HDI’s “U.N. To D.C.” Program: The United Nations’ Worldwide Fight Against Malaria – Alan Court Briefs Congressional Staffers

 

June 3, 2008

The Humpty Dumpty Institute arranged for Alan Court, the Senior Advisor to the United Nation’s Secretary General’s Envoy for Malaria to brief House and Senate staffers of the U.S. Congress on June 2, 2008. Mr. Court was most recently the Director of the UNICEF Programme Division and served earlier both in Africa and in South Asia. He thus was able to recount to the over 30 staffers in attendance his first hand knowledge of the scourge of malaria in the developing world. Mr. Court discussed his office’s mandate: to eliminate deaths from malaria by 2010. He detailed the strategy of the United Nations, with the generous support of the United Nations Foundation, to aggressively distribute insecticide treated mosquito nets and teach recipients how to use them.

In addition to the human suffering, the staffers were interested in learning more about the economic costs to developing societies of malaria. In response to a question by a member of Congressman Donald Payne’s staff (Rep. Payne is Chair of the Congressional Malaria Caucus); Mr. Court offered a conservative estimate of $30 billion in losses worldwide due to malaria inflicted declines in productivity. He further explained how the United Nations is engaging African leaders on their commitment to devote as many resources as possible to eradicating malaria in their countries.

Many of the staffers were interested in the efficiency of market based forces in mosquito net distribution. Mr. Court agreed that if there is a stable market, free enterprise provides the most efficient means of getting nets to the majority of populations. He added, however, in areas in which there are market disruptions, local and national governments, the United Nations, and NGOs had a role to play in protection vulnerable populations.

Alan Court’s presentation allowed many Hill staffers to better understand the practical work which the U.N. provides in a non political and humanitarian manner

To learn more about this program and HDI, please contact

jonathan.landesman@thehdi.org.

HDI’s “U.N. to D.C.” program is supported by the United Nations Foundation.