A Net Win: Bipartisan Support Helps Save Lives in Cameroon By US Representative Michael Honda Washington Life Magazine[WEBSITE VERSION] September 2011
Cameroon may not register on the consciousness of Washingtonians. It is hard to get Africa on the radar screen, let alone one of its lesser-known nations. What happened in Cameroon recently, however, is not only unique, but brings to bear the potential in pairing American policymakers and pop culture.
For many African nations, it is difficult to become a priority for the U.S. For Cameroon, that is particularly apparent. Unlike Libya, Nigeria and Algeria — all oil rich — Cameroon’s natural resources are not yet priorities for foreign extractive industries. Unlike Rwanda and Sudan — both genocidal — Cameroon is relatively peaceful and has no recent history of crimes against humanity. Unlike Egypt and Tunisia — both revolutionary rich – Cameroon is not featured in the foreign policy journals. Furthermore, Cameroon is not experiencing a Somalia-like famine or struggling with Zimbabwe-level inflation. So, what about Cameroon is noteworthy?
Ask a mosquito, who brought together a rare mix of congressional bipartisanship, Hollywood celebrity, government officials, international institutions and nonprofit organizations. That mosquito carries malaria and kills indiscriminately. By the time you finish reading this article, a handful of children already died from its menacing bite, Every 45 seconds another African child dies, bitten at night while lying in bed unprotected.
In the wake of a contentious congressional debt debate, a bipartisan delegation, my office included, joined actor-singer Mandy Moore and a host of organizations — U.N. Foundation, PSI and the Humpty Dumpty Institute — in paving the way for Cameroon’s first-ever national campaign to cover its country with over 8 million mosquito bed nets.
Sound ambitious? It is, but worth doing for more than humanitarian reasons. The costs alone compel. Conservative estimates say the economic impact of malaria on the continent is $12 billion annually, though the costs are likely greater due to data inaccuracy. The real costs include the price of health care, missed working and class days, decreased productivity due to brain damage, and loss of investment and tourism. In some countries, the disease accounts for as much as 40 percent of public health expenditure.
For Cameroon, with half the population in poverty, these costs are untenable. Prevention is the only viable option. A long-lasting, insecticide-treated bed net, which protects two people and kills mosquitoes on contact (and can be purchased for $10 through the Nothing But Nets campaign) may save the nation.
There are obstacles. Cameroon’s government could afford to pitch in more money to ensure a successful rollout. A couple million dollars, out of GDP of $22 billion, hardly cuts it. A cleanup of corruption in the 30-year administration of President Biya, which thrives on a patrimonial system, could garner much-needed funds. The nets, secondly, are good for three to five years, and then must be replaced. With climate change, these mosquitoes are not going away soon, so more nets will be needed.
Hope can be found in the benevolence of bipartisanship. A mission-driven celebrity Mandy Moore (whose track record includes Sudan and the Central African Republic) and organizations like PSI, UNF and HDI that are protecting vulnerable and impoverished populations one net at a time,
As House Appropriations Committee member, I consistently advocate for huge plus-ups in State and Foreign Operations funding for Child Survival and Health Programs and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. This year, President Obama’s request for the 2012 federal budget was $1 billion, a plus-up I pushed to $1.45 billion.
Complement this short-term fix with longer-term poverty alleviation and sustainable development and Cameroon is immunized from the conflict-ridden characteristics of its neighbors and kept off Washington’s radar screen — an irony worth fighting for,
Rep Michael Honda (D-CA) represents Silicon Valley and serves on the House budget and appropriations committees.