REMARKS BY SECRETARY KERRY AND BURUNDI PRESIDENT PIERRE NKURUNZIZA

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Remarks With Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza Before Their Meeting

Remarks

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Treaty Room

Washington, DC

August 4, 2014

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SECRETARY KERRY: Good afternoon, everybody. It’s my great pleasure to welcome President Nkurunziza of Burundi, and I’m delighted to be able to have a chance to share some thoughts with him today.

We – the United States engages with our Burundi partners on a number of different fronts. First, we are working with them to augment their capacity with respect to law enforcement, the judiciary and military, to develop the institutions and the procedures that will protect citizens and establish a foundation for long-term national and regional stability, and this is a key effort; working on the protection of human rights and countering politically motivated violence; and we’ve been working very hard with our friends in Burundi on that.

We’re also working with the Independent National Electoral Commission to improve the quality of voter education and to enhance the training of electoral officials, as well as develop an electoral dispute resolution procedure in order to build confidence among the citizens in the electoral process. It’s still up to Burundi to secure the notion that elections are going to be free and fair and transparent and peaceful, but the U.S. intends to help where we can.

Finally, the United States provided more than 53 million in Fiscal Year 2013 funding for Burundi primarily to support health-related programs, including those directed at combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, malnutrition, and to provide increased maternal and child health and voluntary family planning efforts.

We also engaged with Burundi on a broader set of issues like conflict mitigation with youth, with very vulnerable youth; the Burundi deployment of peacekeeping missions, which we’re grateful for; and also improved productivity and profitability of the agriculture cycle. So we have a lot going on. There’s a lot of good work, and I look forward to talking with the President about those ways in which we can enhance this partnership. Thank you, Mr. President.

PRESIDENT NKURUNZIZA: (Via interpreter.) First of all, I would like to thank the United States of America for having hosted me and my delegation today. At the same time, I would like to use this opportunity to thank you for all of the support that the United States is providing us in Burundi to support us. And we are a post-conflict country which has had many difficulties in the past, but today we are happy the fact that we are back in peace and we have defense and security agreements. And we are helping other countries that are in difficulty, such as Somalia, Central Africa, or Cote d’Ivoire, but also South Sudan. And very soon, we will also be deployed in South Sudan. That proves that we are at peace, so everything that we receive from the United States, it’s a way of supporting us to move forward. And so I’m very happy that today we are being hosted by the Secretary of State to have an exchange together and to show how the United States and Burundi continue to work together to deal with all of the programs that we work on together. And we would like to thank you for the support that you’re providing Burundi for development and the stability of our country. Thank you very much.

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S REMARKS DELIVERED ON WORLD AIDS DAY

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
Remarks by the President on World AIDS Day
South Court Auditorium
Eisenhower Executive Office Building
1:20 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)  Everybody, please have a seat.  Well, thank you, Grant, for your outstanding leadership of the Office of National AIDS Policy.  And thanks to all of you for being here.  This is a pretty distinguished crowd, I have to say, and it is wonderful to be here.

I should say, actually, welcome back, because many of you have joined us before as we’ve marked new milestones in our fight against HIV and AIDS.  And I’m honored that you could join us in commemorating World AIDS Day, which was yesterday.  And this is a time for remembering the friends and loved ones that we’ve lost, celebrating the extraordinary progress -- thanks to some people in this room -- that we’ve been able to make, and most importantly, recommitting ourselves to the mission that we share, which is achieving an AIDS-free generation.

I especially want to welcome ministers from our partner countries; members of my administration, including Secretary Sebelius, Secretary John Kerry; Congresswoman Barbara Lee; Mark Dybul from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.  And we’ve also got here Francis Collins from the National Institutes of Health; Michel Sidibe from UN-AIDS; Deborah von Zinkernagel, who’s carrying on the great work of Eric Goosby as our Acting Global AIDS Coordinator; and our many friends from the philanthropic world, including Bill Gates.  So thank you all for joining us here today.

Every year, this is a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come since the early days of the AIDS epidemic.  And those of you who lived through it remember all too well the fear and the  stigma, and how hard people with HIV had to fight to be seen, or heard, or to be treated with basic compassion.  And you remember how little we knew about how to prevent AIDS, or how to treat it.  What we did know was the devastation that it inflicted -- striking down vibrant men and women in the prime of their lives and spreading from city to city and country to country seemingly overnight.

Today, that picture is transformed.  Thanks to the courage and love of so many of you in this room and around the world, awareness has soared; research has surged.  Prevention, treatment and care are now saving millions of lives not only in the world’s richest countries but in some of the world‘s poorest countries as well.  And for many, with testing and access to the right treatment, the disease that was once a death sentence now comes with a good chance at a healthy and productive life.  And that's an extraordinary achievement.

As President, I’ve told you that in this fight, you’ll have a partner in me.  And I said that if the United States wanted to be the global leader in combating this disease, then we needed to act like it -- by doing our part and by leading the world to do more together.  And that’s what we’ve done, in partnership with so many of you.  We created the first comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy, rooted in a simple vision that every person should get access to life-extending care, regardless of age or gender, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or socio-economic status.

We’ve continued to support the Ryan White CARE Act to help underserved communities, and we lifted the entry ban so that people with HIV are no longer barred from the United States -- which led to the International AIDS Conference being held here last year for the very first time in over 20 years.

This summer, I issued an executive order creating the HIV Care Continuum Initiative to boost our federal efforts to prevent and treat HIV.  Last month, I signed the HIV Organ Policy Equity Act, to finally allow research into organ donations between people with HIV -- a step achieved with bipartisan support.

And thanks to the Affordable Care Act, millions of insured Americans will be able to get tested free of charge.  Americans who were uninsured will now be able to have access to affordable health care coverage, and beginning in January, no American will be again denied health insurance because of their HIV status.

On World AIDS Day two years ago, I announced an additional $35 million for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, which helps people pay for lifesaving medications.  At one time, the need was so great that over 9,000 people were on the waitlist.  We vowed to get those numbers down.  And I’m proud to announce that, as of last week, we have cleared that waitlist.  We are down to zero.  (Applause.)  And we’re going to keep working to keep it down.

So we’re making progress.  But we’re all here today because we know how much work remains to be done.  Here in the United States, we need to keep focusing on investments to communities that are still being hit hardest, including gay and bisexual men, African Americans and Latinos.  We need to keep up the fight in our cities -- including Washington, D.C., which in recent years has reduced diagnosed infections by nearly half.

And we’re going to keep pursuing scientific breakthroughs.  Today I’m pleased to announce a new initiative at the National Institutes of Health to advance research into an HIV cure.  We’re going to redirect $100 million into this project to develop a new generation of therapies.  Because the United States should be at the forefront of new discoveries into how to put HIV into long-term remission without requiring lifelong therapies -- or, better yet, eliminate it completely.

And of course, this fight extends far beyond our borders.  When I became President, I inherited President Bush’s phenomenal program, PEPFAR, which has helped millions around the world receive lifesaving treatment.  And we haven’t just sustained those efforts, we’ve expanded them -- reaching and serving even more people, especially mothers and children.  Earlier this year, PEPFAR reached a wonderful milestone -- the one millionth baby born without HIV.  (Applause.)   And that alongside the rapid decline in new HIV infections and deaths from AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.

On my visit to South Africa this year, I visited a clinic run by Bishop Desmond Tutu and had the honor of spending time with some of their extraordinary young patients and counselors and outreach workers and doctors.  Every day, they are doing extraordinary work.  And when you visit this facility, you cannot help but be inspired by what they do each and every day, in part thanks to the support of the United States of America.  They’re saving lives and they’re changing the way their country, and the world, approaches this disease.  And that’s work that we have to continue to advance.

On World AIDS Day two years ago, I set new prevention and treatment targets for PEPFAR, like increasing the number of mothers we reach so that we prevent their children from becoming infected, and helping 6 million people get treatment by the end of 2013.  Today, I’m proud to announce that we’ve not only reached our goal, we’ve exceeded our treatment target.  So we’ve helped 6.7 million people receive lifesaving treatment.  And we’re going to keep at it.  (Applause.)  Which is why, after I leave here today, I’ll be proud to sign the PEPFAR Stewardship and Oversight Act, to keep this program going strong.  (Applause.)  Count on the legislator to applaud legislation.  (Laughter.)

Looking ahead, it’s time for the world to come together to set new goals.  Right now we’re working hard to get a permanent leader in place at PEPFAR, and once we do, one of our first items of business will be convening a meeting early next year, so the United States and our partners worldwide -- including governments, the Global Fund, U.N.-AIDS, and civil society -- can sit around one table and develop joint HIV prevention and treatment goals for the countries where we and the Global Fund do business.  We’ll hold each other accountable, and we’ll continue to work to turn the tide of this epidemic together.

And that includes keeping up our support for the Global Fund.  Its success speaks for itself.  It’s helping over 6 million people in over 140 countries receive antiretroviral therapy.  And now it’s time to replenish the Fund.  The United States will contribute $1 for every $2 pledged by other donors over the next three years, up to $5 billion total from the United States.  And the United Kingdom has made a similar promise.  (Applause.)

So today I want to urge all those who are attending the Global Fund’s replenishment meetings both today and tomorrow to take up this commitment.  Don’t leave our money on the table.  It’s been inspiring to see the countries most affected by this disease vastly increase their own contributions to this fight -- in some cases, providing more than donor countries do.  And that ought to inspire all of us to give more, to do more, so we can save more lives.

After all, none of the progress we’ve made against AIDS could have been achieved by a single government or foundation or corporation working alone.  It’s the result of countless people -- including so many of you -- working together from countries large and small, philanthropies, universities, media, civil society, activists.  More than anything, I think it’s thanks to the courageous people living with HIV around the world who’ve shared their stories; you’ve lent your strength, demanded your dignity be recognized, and led the fight to spare others the anguish of this disease.

We can’t change the past or undo its wrenching pain.  But what we can do -- and what we have to do -- is to chart a different future, guided by our love for those we couldn’t save. That allows us to do everything we can, everything in our power to save those that we can.  And that’s my commitment to you as President.

The United States of America will remain the global leader in the fight against HIV and AIDS.  We will stand with you every step of this journey until we reach the day that we know is possible, when all men and women can protect themselves from infection; a day when all people with HIV have access to the treatments that extend their lives; the day when there are no babies being born with HIV or AIDS, and when we achieve, at long last, what was once hard to imagine -- and that’s an AIDS-free generation.

That’s the world I want for my daughters.  That’s the world that all of us want for our families.  And if we stay focused, if we keep fighting, and if we honor the memory of those that we’ve lost, if we summon the same courage that they displayed, by insisting on whatever it takes, however long it takes, I believe we’re going to win this fight.  And I’m confident that we’ll do so together.

So thank you very much for your extraordinary efforts.  Appreciate it.  God bless you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Good work.  (Applause.)

NAVY STUDY LOOKS TO FIND NEW MALARIA VACCINE

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Navy Study May Lead to Malaria Vaccine
Dana Crudo  |  Health.mil
August 29, 2013

The Navy made medical history with its release of promising research results that may lead the way to a much-needed malaria vaccine.

The breakthrough research published in the journal Science on Aug. 8 includes results of a human clinical trial of a malaria vaccine developed by the Navy Medical Research Center and federal and industry collaborators. The trial showed 100 percent protection against the disease.

“This is a historical moment in malaria vaccine research development,” said Capt. Judith Epstein, lead investigator of the trial at the Navy Medical Research Center. “For the first time, we and our collaborators have a malaria vaccine approach which has demonstrated the high-level vaccine efficacy required to protect our troops.”

This is no easy feat. The malaria parasite is incredibly complex, making it particularly difficult to develop a vaccine, researchers say.

The Defense Department has been dedicated to solving the malaria riddle since World War II because of its significant impact on U.S. military operations throughout history. Malaria continues to present major challenges to troops in tropical and subtropical regions of the world where it is rampant.

However, malaria is not a problem unique to the military. It is a major global health concern, with the World Health Organization reporting 216 million cases of malaria and an estimated 655,000 deaths in 2010.

Despite the significant need, there currently is no approved vaccine against malaria.

The latest research by the Navy provides hope that a vaccine soon will be available to effectively combat malaria within the military and beyond.

“I see the Navy paving the way to a vaccine which can be used within the next three- to four years for military personnel and for the millions of individuals suffering and dying from malaria worldwide,” Epstein said.

The vaccine used in the clinical trial was given at varied doses by intravenous injection to 40 volunteers from October 2011 to October 2012. Navy researchers played a key role in the design of the study, particularly the assessment of vaccine efficacy and volunteer follow up.

STATE DEPARTMENT FACT SHEET REGARDING U.S.-RUSSIA COOPERATION ON HEALTH

Photo:  Mosquito Bed Nets Handed Out By U.S. Air Force.  Credit:  Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. James Brock   
FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
U.S. - Russia Cooperation on Health
Fact Sheet
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
June 18, 2012
The United States and Russia continue to expand and advance their cooperation in health through the Bilateral Presidential Commission Health Working Group under the leadership of Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Veronika Skvortsova, Minister of Health of the Russian Federation. The Health Working Group fosters joint work on health challenges facing citizens of both countries and on improving global health, promotes collaboration between U.S. and Russian researchers in the areas of public health and medical science, and facilitates cooperation and exchanges between stakeholders in the United States and Russia.

Protocol of Intent on Disease Prevention and Control
On April 24, 2012, Dr. Thomas Frieden, Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Dr. Gennady Onishenko, Director of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-being of the Russian Federation (Rospotrebnadzor), signed a Protocol of Intent on cooperation in prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases. The Protocol will support collaborative activities under the Bilateral Presidential Commission Health Working Group in the areas of healthy lifestyles and combating infectious disease.

The Protocol reflects a long history of scientific cooperation between the United States and Russia. Under the Protocol, the participants intend to continue their existing cooperation in the area of infectious diseases, particularly influenza and smallpox, through joint research projects on the strains of influenza circulating in both countries and related to the development of medical countermeasures for smallpox, including vaccines and antiviral drugs. Bilateral cooperation will include exchanging information, such as surveillance data; promoting joint research projects; conducting periodic consultations; and providing technical assistance and training to build capacity in the surveillance of communicable and non-communicable diseases. Our countries will also exchange surveillance data related to foodborne disease and collaborate on the most effective ways to prevent HIV and tuberculosis infection, particularly among the most at-risk groups.

In both Russia and the United States, non-communicable diseases like cancer and cardiovascular disease present great threats to health. Reducing tobacco use is vital to improving health and lowering the burden of non-communicable disease. Under the Protocol, the United States will share best practices with Russia for monitoring tobacco use and related indicators. This monitoring provides data to help design and implement efforts to inform the public about the dangers of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke, as well as the benefits of smoking cessation and a tobacco-free lifestyle.

Cooperation in the Global Fight to End Malaria
Building on existing activities in the field of global health, the United States and Russia have agreed to cooperate in the global fight against malaria. This cooperation, under the auspices of the Health Working Group, will entail training and capacity building, evaluation, operational research, advocacy, and resource mobilization in support of national malaria control plans in countries in Africa and the Asia Pacific region. The United States and Russia will also explore joint participation or co-leadership on malaria control issues in international and national forums such as the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Global Roll Back Malaria Partnership, and regional or global health meetings.

The United States and Russia exchanged letters of intent on global malaria control cooperation and will sign a Protocol of Intent in 2012. The President’s Malaria Initiative, an interagency effort led by the U.S. Agency for International Development and implemented together with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will coordinate efforts on behalf of the United States. For Russia, the Ministry of Health and the E.I. Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology and Tropical Medicine of the Moscow State Medical University will serve as coordinators.

An estimated 300 to 500 million people annually become ill with malaria, and about 800,000 die. Malaria is a leading cause of death of young children in Africa, and the threat posed by drug-resistant forms of the disease is growing. U.S.-Russia cooperation on malaria will save children, improve maternal health, reduce suffering, and promote economic development in countries that are still burdened with this disease.

MALARIA: FOCUSING ON THE TOP KILLER IN AFRICA

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Melissa McGaughey delivers mosquito bed nets to residents of Debaka Debobesa, Ethiopia, March 15, 2012. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. James Brock  

New Malaria Task Forces Will Address Top Africa Killer
By Donna Miles
STUTTGART, Germany, June 13, 2012 - Two new task forces being stood up by U.S. Africa Command have set their sights on one of the biggest killers on the continent: the mosquito.

Malaria -- that same affliction that decimated Roman legions,
Revolutionary War and Civil War soldiers and a scourge in the South Pacific during World War II -- continues to plague Africa, particularly the sub-Saharan region. Ninety percent of the world's malaria-related deaths are reported in Africa, and the disease kills some 600,000 African children each year.

The toll is so devastating that it overshadows Africa's other medical challenges, including HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, Army Col. (Dr.) John Andrus, Africom's deputy surgeon and medical logistics division chief, told American Forces Press Service.

And beyond the pure humanitarian toll, there's an operational one, too. Last year, during Africom's World Malaria Day observance, a soldier from an African partner nation told Andrus malaria is one of the biggest concerns among his troops deploying for peacekeeping operations across the continent. "This was a real eye opener to us," he said.
Africom incorporates malaria prevention into much of its theater engagement, distributing mosquito nets and teaching new diagnostic techniques during training events throughout Africa.

But at the African soldier's suggestion, Africom went to work to establish regional task forces to help partner nations create a unified front against the problem. The command stood up the East African Malaria Task Force in December with plans to form a similar task force in West Africa by the year's end, Andrus reported.

The East African task force includes Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda and Tanzania. The United States is a member, but has no leadership role, Andrus said. "The task force is led by the African partners who are members," he said.

The task force plans to meet in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in late July to discuss their battle plan for combating the disease, Andrus said. They're expected to identify ways to encourage self-protection while promoting improved surveillance, diagnosis and treatment.

"This will give them an opportunity to move forward against a very challenging disease in a very positive way," he said.

Meanwhile, the first meeting of the new West Africa Malaria Task Force is scheduled for November.

Andrus called the task forces an example of the command's goal of helping African nations confront African problems.

"This is a wonderful example of what it means to work with our partners, assist them in coming up with solutions to their own challenges, and then to be a partner with them as we move toward addressing those challenges," he said.

Ultimately, this supports the concept of "stability through health," Andrus said. Helping partner nations protect their military forces against disease supports the bigger goal of establishing professional militaries that are trusted by their populations and able to respond to crises, he explained.
It also builds confidence within partner-nation militaries that they will be taken care of when they are called on to carry out their missions, he said. "If they can deploy forward, knowing that they are able to receive the health care they need, it gives them confidence they need to be able to perform in a way that promotes stability on the continent," he said.
While helping partner nations confront malaria, Africom also ensures U.S. service members who deploy to Africa are protected, Andrus said.

The Kelley Health Clinic here recently celebrated its one-year anniversary as a one-stop shop for Africom members traveling to the continent. It provides health screenings, immunizations, malaria prophylaxis and mosquito repellents.

"The first step is to get to know who you're fighting," said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Steven Baty, a veterinary epidemiologist for Public Health Command Region -- Europe. "If we can identify the mosquitoes in the area that are going to carry malaria, then we can look at prevention programs."

Because Africom personnel often travel in small groups to the continent, officials recognize the importance of keeping them healthy.

"Each person is critical," said Army Lt. Col Jose Nunez, chief of the command's health protection branch. "If you have one person go down, that person can't do his or her job."

MALARIA IS STILL A THREAT TO MILLIONS

FROM:  U.S. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL
"Have You Heard?"
Malaria threatens security of millions
Malaria, a disease spread by mosquito bites, can lead to impoverishment, disability, and death. Beyond the loss of human potential, malaria’s direct costs total more than $12 billion each year and cause substantial economic losses for entire nations. Encouragingly, inexpensive yet simple interventions can dramatically reduce malaria’s impact.

From global efforts to grass-roots mobilization, resources committed to fight malaria have increased greatly in the past decade. Hundreds of millions of life-saving insecticide-treated bed nets and effective antimalarial medicines are now available to people who need them, especially pregnant women and children under 5 years old, who are most vulnerable to malaria.

The impact of this massive scale-up has been a dramatic decline in malaria cases and deaths---in many countries by as much as 50 percent. Globally, WHO estimates that malaria deaths decreased by a third between 2000 and 2010, with most of this reduction in Africa. These achievements are fragile, however, because resources are constrained in the current economy, bed nets wear out, and parasites develop resistance to medicines.

World Malaria Day, April 25th, and its theme “Sustain Gains, Save Lives: Invest in Malaria,” remind us that successes of the past decade can be easily reversed.

The U.S. government has a major role in the global malaria partnership. CDC, which began in 1946 as the agency to control malaria in the United States, is a leader in global malaria efforts. The successful President’s Malaria Initiative is jointly implemented by the U.S. Agency for International Development and CDC and has greatly contributed to recent decreases in malaria.

CDC has played a key role in developing and improving the tools to prevent and treat malaria: treated bed nets and house-spraying to protect families from mosquitoes, accurate diagnostic tests and high-quality effective drugs, and treatment for pregnant women that protects them and their babies.

What more can we do?

Even as many individuals and companies contribute to organizations that buy and distribute bed nets, our nation is harnessing its technical expertise to develop and evaluate new prevention and control methods. CDC is working to ensure that new medicines, vaccines, diagnostic tests, and mosquito control products are deployed effectively, and is also investigating new ways to collect the strategic information needed to track our progress and ensure we invest wisely.

With increased knowledge, the right tools, and renewed commitment to decrease malaria, we can sustain gains made in past decade and save lives.
Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

VA SAYS MILITARY MEMBERS MAY BE AT RISK FOR MALARIA IN CERTAIN PLACES

FROM:  VETERANS AFFAIRS
Infectious Diseases » Malaria
Military members may be at risk for malaria during deployment or personal travel to tropical and subtropical areas where the mosquito-borne disease is prevalent.
If you have returned from a malaria-affected country and develop a fever or flu-like symptoms, immediately seek medical care from your health care provider. Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease, but it is curable if diagnosed and treated promptly.

Malaria during military service
Veterans who meet the criteria below do not have to prove a connection between their malaria and military service to be eligible to receive VA disability compensation:
Veterans must have served in the Southwest Asia theater of military operationsduring the first Gulf War starting August 2, 1990, through the conflict in Iraq OR on or after September 19, 2001, in Afghanistan.
Malaria must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year from the date of military separation OR at a standard time that would indicate the incubation period began during a qualifying period of military service.

Malaria symptoms
Malaria symptoms occur in cycles. Symptoms include fever, chills, drenching sweats, sudden coldness, flu-like illness, headache, nausea, and vomiting. The time period between the infection and development of malaria symptoms generally varies from 7 to 30 days. One strain has an incubation period of 8 to 10 months. With infection from some malaria species,relapses can occur months to years later.
To learn more about malaria, go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or to Medline Plus.

Malaria prevention
Drug prevention measures are not totally protective and must be combined with the use insect repellent, insecticide-treated bed netting, and protective clothing.
Doxycycline is now the drug of choice to prevent malaria in the deployed U.S. military.Mefloquine (Lariam®) is not recommended as a primary choice, but can be used by those who cannot take either doxycycline or atovaquone-proguanil (Malarone®).

How Veterans may get infected
Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted to human hosts by infected mosquitoes. Veterans may have contracted malaria while deployed to certain parts of Asia, Africa, and Central and South America.
Clinicians should consider the diagnosis of malaria for Veterans who have served in Korea, Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan/Horn of Africa and surrounding countries), Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, training and development missions in sub-Sahara Africa, or any other malaria-affected areas.
Malaria may also be transmitted through a blood transfusion from an infected person or by use of a contaminated needle or syringe.

Health concerns
If you are concerned about malaria, talk to your health care provider or local VA Environmental Health Coordinator. If you are not enrolled in the VA health care system, find out if you qualify for VA health care.
VA benefits
Veterans may be eligible for VA health care benefits and disability compensation for malaria related to military service.