Some years ago Hutt, in conjunction with Japanese Sister Club Mino-o of Osaka, provided funding for this program, but because of difficulties experienced in arranging grants, our attentions turned elsewhere.

It is interesting to read, therefore, in the publication dealing with Rotary programs, which we mentioned last week, that RAM is alive and flourishing. With some 300 million being infected with malaria, including at least one million deaths from this tropical disease, the RAM program has particular significance to clubs in the South Pacific region. This program seeks to educate as well as to provide essential equipment and training not only for countries already infected by an increasing presence of malaria but also for countries like NZ and Australia where vulnerability is very apparent.

RAM is supported by many districts in Australia, NZ, the Solomons, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. There is a growing recognition of the problem coming from further afield with requests being directed to Rotary International to include malaria as an international eradication program along the lines of the PolioPlus campaign. Clubs are asked to support the campaign by raising funds to provide bednets impregnated with insecticide for distribution to affected areas, to provide microscopes and other facilities for the early detection of the malarial virus and to provide technical aids to assist local groups in the elimination of mosquito breeding grounds.

The long-term goals of the program are to raise public awareness of the menace of malaria, to mobilise Rotary manpower to assist with field trials of vaccine and to have RAM accepted as an international program of Rotary International.

Rotarians in Australia and NZ have been involved in many malaria projects worldwide since 1990. With the help of WHO and the Rotary Foundation through 3H and Matching Grants, significant funding has been available for bednets, insecticides, environmental rehabilitation and educational programs. In NZ, a recent 3H Planning Grant has initiated a project called Rotary's Operation Mosquito (ROM) which will attempt to tackle three vector-borne diseases, malaria, dengue fever and filariasis (connected with worms). Australian RAM has recently provided grants for malaria research in association with other organisations.

When a suitable malaria vaccine does become available, it is not inconceivable that RI could mount and support an effective malaria eradication campaign worldwide, similar to, and on the completion of, the highly successful PolioPlus program.

Investigations continue into other possible RAM projects in countries such as Vietnam, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Africa and in the South Pacific.