Over a million people die every year from a curable, treatable disease. Break that figure down and that means a human dies every 30 seconds. Malaria is the number one killer in the world, targeting the worlds most vulnerable populations: women and children in poor African, Latin American, and Asian communities.

It is not just death that malaria brings; no other disease in the course of human history has had as profound effect on human development and well-being than malaria. In Hindi, malaria is known as the King of Diseases; for each person who dies of it, three others will be left with more mundane problems like malnutrition, anemia, diarrhea or lifelong learning disabilities. This pandemic, relatively low on the international public health priority list, rarely makes the news or generates public outcry. Yet with new strains of parasites resisting malaria drugs, malaria control has become even more pressing.

A national campaign pushing to provide bed nets for those in malaria-infested areas has the ability to save lives and enhance the global standard of living. The $10 solution, written by Jeffery D. Sachs, author of The End of Poverty, and director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, exposes the thousands of groups and individuals across America who are dedicated to raising the $3 billion (as Sachs mentions, that’s a mere $3 for every person in a developed nation), needed for all people vulnerable to malaria to have bed nets.

Groups like nothingbutnets.org and malarianomore.org have been highly successful in coordinating thousands of Americans in the global effort against malaria. The World Swim Against Malaria is an amazing ongoing, international fundraising effort which is supported by millions of swimmers every year who chose swim together in protest of the disease. The World Swim Against Malaria organization has raised over $1 million to date.

Los Angeles has contributed teams in the past -- two in fact: Speedo Corporate and JWT gathered 130 people for the effort in 2005. Yet with the arrival of a new year, 2007 could be the year that LA gets serious about swimming for the international effort against malaria.

With teams from Kansas and Colorado already registered for spring swims, it’s time for LA teams to sign up for a swim against one of the worlds most neglected diseases. Besides raising money for a great cause and building a stronger Los Angeles community, Angelenos can lead the pack by capitalizing on our beautiful 70 degree, crystal clear weather, and swim for a better life.