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CWS head among leaders honored by Malaria Foundation International 2007 awards

Rev. John L. McCullough Photo: CWS

September 13, 2007

NEW YORK -- The Rev. John L. McCullough, Executive Director and CEO of global humanitarian agency Church World Service, was named Religious Leader of the Year by Malaria Foundation International (MFI) in its Malaria Awards 2007, on September 12.

The foundation's yearly awards honor "extraordinary individuals and organizations," including world leaders and unsung heroes, who are making important contributions in the fight against malaria.

McCullough was cited for his 2006 commentary, "In the Fight to End Malaria, Broken Promises Create Suffering Children."

As part of its multi-year Africa Initiative, focused on key health, food security, poverty, and sustainable development issues confronting the continent, CWS sponsored a July 2006 Africa Summit in Washington, D.C., that attracted public sector and religious leaders from 23 African countries and the U.S. Among other topics, the summit featured special presentations and working dialogue sessions on malaria.

Malaria kills at least 3,000 people each day worldwide, mostly children.

"We can't ignore malaria," says CWS's McCullough. "Malaria is one of those world problems that is so solvable and, once solved, can make profound differences not only in lives saved but in the positive impacts to quality of life, productivity and community wellbeing overall.

"There is something each individual and every organization can do," he says, "from small, affordable donations for bednets to funding commitments to broader research and greater support for affected countries."

Dr. Mary Galinski, Founder and President of MFI and a Professor at Emory University's School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA., noted, "We have a long way to go, and we need to continue to engage and increasing number of dedicated individuals for the long haul."

"The Malaria Awards Ceremony is our way to identify and thank the many extraordinary individuals and organizations who continue to make significant contributions in the fight against malaria and inspire others," said Dr. Kathryn Nason-Burchenal, Vice President of Malaria Foundation International. "This can take many forms, from spearheading a major research project or bednet distribution or insecticide spraying campaigns, to publishing a news article about the disease and gaining increased awareness and support as a result."

McCullough joined others honored by MFI for their leadership in the fight against the disease, including:

Person of the Year: Dr. Dora Nkem Akunyili, Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NADDAC) in Nigeria.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Lawrence H. Bannister, PhD, whose 40 years of research has been instrumental in the discovery of the biology of the malaria parasite and identification of new targets for vaccine development and drug intervention.

Philanthropist of the Year: Ray Chambers, founding co-chairman of Malaria No More, launched in 2006 to raise awareness of malaria and support for the President’s Malaria Initiative, seeking $10 donations from the public for long-lasting insecticide-treated bednets.

Scientist of the Year: Don Roberts, PhD, Emeritus Professor, Uniformed Service University, Bethesda, Maryland, for his persistent role to save DDT for malaria control.

Volunteer of the Year: Adedayo Thomas, who volunteered to establish a Malaria Free Zone in Itu-Agon, Lagos, Nigeria, in 2006 in partnership with the Free Africa Foundation.

Economist Advocate of the Year: Jeffrey D. Sachs, PhD, Director of the Earth Institute of Columbia University, New York, for his continued efforts raising action-oriented attention on global health issues including malaria.

First Lady Malaria Advocate of the Year: Laura Bush, for her persistent and increasing dedication to the fight against malaria.

Celebrity of the Year: Bono, for raising the profile of malaria during his 2006 six-country tour of Africa.

New Malaria Advocate of the Year: The New York City based Global Business Coalition, for officially expanding its mandate in December 2006 to include malaria, along with HIV/AIDS and TB.

Teacher of the Year: Lexi Hunter of Atlanta, Georgia, for leading the way with the development of a global "Student Leaders Against Malaria" (SLAM) network.

Health Minister of the Year: Dr. Richard Kamwi, Namibia, for his special efforts to stress the importance of DDT in the control of malaria in Namibia.

NGO Leader of the Year: JHPIEGO (pronounced "JA-PIE-GO"), an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University, with the leadership of CEO Dr. Leslie Mancuso, continues to make major strides in countries throughout Africa in malaria advocacy, education, and training.

Malaria Foundation International is a non-profit organization, established in 1992, with the mission to facilitate the development and implementation of solutions to the health, economic, and social causes of malaria. MFI welcomes donations to support its projects.

Church World Service is a relief, sustainable development, and refugee assistance agency advocating at public policy levels and working worldwide to combat the root cause of hunger, poverty, and illnesses like malaria.

For more information, see:

Malaria Awards 2007, www.malaria.org, for hyperlinks to each of the winners and further information.

Commentary by John McCullough, "In the Fight to End Malaria, Broken Promises Create Suffering Children"

Media Contact:
Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676;
Jan Dragin, 781-925-1526;

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