Hobart citizens aim to swat malaria for good!

Local anti-poverty campaigners RESULTS Hobart are screening a film about malaria in the hopes of swatting this deadly disease for good.

A screening of the powerful film Mary and Martha is scheduled for Thursday, September 12 at the new Medical Science 2 Lecture Theatre – at the University of Tasmania’s Medical Sciences Precinct.
This event is being organised by the Hobart chapter of local, but influential, not-for-profit anti-poverty organisation RESULTS International.

The international RESULTS network, according to the New York Times is “one of the best-kept secrets in development”, and has played a significant role since the 1980s “in helping to direct billions of dollars of government funding toward child survival, microfinance, education and health”.

Starring Hilary Swank and Brenda Blethyn, the movie follows two mothers who lose their sons to malaria, and their resulting fight to influence public spending on malaria prevention. The film was written by Richard Curtis (Love, Actually) and directed by Australian Phillip Noyce (Rabbit-Proof Fence).

The movie brings attention to the threat that the disease still poses to millions of people in developing countries, where 500,000 deaths still occur annually despite the disease being both preventable and treatable. In our region alone, 1.3 billion people are estimaetd to be at risk of malaria.

“It is outrageous that 600,000 people still die of malaria each year, mostly children, for the sake of a $10 bed net” says group member Gina Olivieri of Kingston Beach.

RESULTS is currently working to increase Australia’s contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, which is due for replenishment by the end of the year. RESULTS has a history of supporting the Global Fund. In 2009 RESULTS provided crucial support for the Debt2Health swap that allowed $75million of Indonesian debt to be cancelled by the Australian government, in return for Indonesian spending on life-saving health programs through the Global Fund.

At the film screening, guests and local MPs will be invited to show their support for the Global Fund by participating in a photo booth – posing in a mosquito-proof bed net holding a sign saying ‘We need the Global Fund because…’

“Through screening this movie, we hope to raise awareness of this disease, and encourage people to become active global citizens – working to swat diseases like malaria for good!” said Group Leader Sarah Brinckman.

Entry to the film is by $5 donation and tickets can be booked at www.trybooking.com/DHXL
Gina Olivieri