Introduced in Senate — S.Res. 173

III

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. RES. 173

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 10, 2025

Mr. Wicker (for himself and Mr. Coons) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

RESOLUTION

Supporting the goals and ideals of World Malaria Day.

Whereas April 25 of each year is recognized internationally as World Malaria Day;

Whereas malaria is a leading cause of death and disease in many countries, with nearly 1/2 of all cases globally occurring in only 4 countries, despite malaria being a preventable and treatable disease;

Whereas, in the 19th century, malaria was once a leading cause of death in the United States;

Whereas malaria was finally eradicated in the 1950s, but United States citizens still contract and die from malaria every year from traveling abroad;

Whereas, in 2023, there were an estimated 263,000,000 cases of malaria in 83 countries and 597,000 malaria-related deaths worldwide, with 94 percent of those cases in Africa;

Whereas 2 decades of global progress in reducing malaria cases and deaths has stalled in recent years;

Whereas young children and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to, and disproportionately affected by, malaria, with children younger than 5 years of age accounting for 74 percent of malaria deaths each year;

Whereas, since 2000, global investments in malaria intervention programs prevented an estimated 2,200,000,000 malaria cases and 12,700,000 malaria-related deaths;

Whereas the United States played a leading role in more than 2 decades of progress toward reducing the global burden of malaria, particularly through the President’s Malaria Initiative and contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria;

Whereas a record 45 countries and 1 territory have been certified malaria-free and a number of high-burden countries have made remarkable progress, such as—

(1)

Rwanda, with 85 percent fewer cases since 2019;

(2)

India, with 69 percent fewer cases since 2017; and

(3)

Liberia, with 44 percent fewer cases since 2017;

Whereas, as of 2025, there is a suite of new and evolving tools that show great promise in fighting malaria, including next-generation bed nets, diagnostics and treatment, malaria vaccines for young children, spatial repellants, and gene drive technologies;

Whereas recent progress against malaria has stalled due to biological threats, such as insecticide and drug resistance, human factors such as conflict and displacement, and other political and resource factors, which threaten a significant increase in cases;

Whereas there is an average of 2,000 imported cases per year in the United States due to United States citizens who travel, work, and are deployed overseas;

Whereas fighting malaria makes the United States safer by—

(1)

decreasing the risk of illness and death for United States citizens who travel, work, and are deployed to endemic regions;

(2)

preventing a resurgence of malaria in the United States, the risk of which was illustrated by the local transmission of malaria in Florida, Texas, and Maryland in 2023; and

(3)

protecting United States servicemembers and their families abroad, who frequently deploy to regions where malaria is endemic;

Whereas fighting malaria makes the United States stronger by—

(1)

enhancing global stability by addressing a root cause of destabilization, unrest, and terrorism that threatens United States interests and security;

(2)

countering the influence of the People’s Republic of China in strategic regions targeted by the Belt and Road Initiative; and

(3)

bolstering United States global leadership, strengthening alliances, and creating diplomatic leverage; and

Whereas fighting malaria makes the United States more prosperous by—

(1)

driving United States-led innovation, including recent scientific breakthroughs that benefit the United States;

(2)

supporting universities, military-based research institutions, faith-based organizations, and private-sector companies in the United States that have been intrinsically involved, committed, and invested in the fight against malaria;

(3)

expanding markets for United States goods and services, with 1 recent estimate finding that United States exports would grow by $1,480,000,000 if global malaria reduction targets are achieved by 2030;

(4)

protecting United States taxpayers by preventing rather than responding to outbreaks of malaria, as the median cost of protecting 1 person from malaria ranges from $0.53 to $5.97, while treatment for each case of severe malaria costs approximately $145.23; and

(5)

supporting United States businesses by creating stable markets that are more favorable for United States investment: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate—

(1)

supports the goals and ideals of World Malaria Day;

(2)

finds that it is in the national interest of the United States to fight malaria;

(3)

recognizes the importance of reducing malaria prevalence and deaths to improve maternal and child health;

(4)

commends progress made toward reducing global malaria morbidity, mortality, and prevalence, particularly through the efforts of the President’s Malaria Initiative and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria;

(5)

supports efforts to reduce malaria case incidence and mortality rates by not less than 90 percent by 2030;

(6)

commends the efforts and achievements of endemic countries in preventing and treating malaria and supports efforts to increase local ownership over malaria programs with the goal of ultimately graduating from aid to self-sufficiency;

(7)

welcomes public-private partnerships to research and develop more effective and affordable tools for malaria prevention, diagnosis, and treatment; and

(8)

supports and encourages continued leadership by the United States in reducing the global burden of malaria through bilateral, multilateral, and private sector efforts, including through the President's Malaria Initiative and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.