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CORVALLIS, Ore. – The International Health Club at Oregon State University is sponsoring Malaria Awareness Week April 23-27.

This OSU event is in conjunction with a series of events happening around the country. In 2000, African leaders from 44 different countries declared April 25 as Africa Malaria Day. This year the United States will officially commemorate Malaria Awareness Day for the first time.

Meg Henning, one of the organizers of the event, said the group wants to raise awareness about malaria, a disease that claims more than 1 million people lives each year.

The International Health Club is a student-run organization that brings together students and professionals with an interest in public health issues. The club includes students in the Department of Public Health, College of Health and Human Sciences.

The following events are free and open to the public:

• Matthew Lynch, director of the VOICES Program for a Malaria-Free Future at Johns Hopkins University, will speak on the topic, “A Malaria-Free Future” from 12:10 to 1:50 p.m. Monday, April 23, in the Kelley Engineering Building Room 1001. Lynch also will lead a roundtable discussion from 4 to 5 p.m. Monday in Memorial Union Room 208.
• Rochelle Rainey of the USAID Global Health Bureau will speak on “The Return of DDT: Environmental Impacts of Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) for Malaria Control” from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 25. The talk will be in Memorial Union Room 208.
• Africa Night will be held at the West International House beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 27. The featured speakers are Badege Bishaw and Joe Karchesy, College of Forestry, who will address the control of malaria in Africa using natural products from the forests. This event is open to the first 50 guests. West International House is at 391 S.W. 30th St., Corvallis.