(2009) Malaria: How We Are Biting Back: Nadine Qureshi
Name: Nadine Qureshi
Talk Title: “Malaria: How We Are Biting Back”
Notes:Faculty of Science, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, 3rd year
Topic: Nadine has heard a life-time of stories from her dad and her grandma of what it was like to grow up in Tanzania, East Africa. But it was not until she experienced the region first-hand, when she was stopped to reflect what she witnessed versus what she had envisioned. She saw a beautiful country, so ineffably rich in culture and diversity; however, she also saw a far-too-common fate. She saw it swallowing up the nation and its hope along with it. And she sought to do something about it.
Plasmodium falciporum and Cerebral Malaria may not be terms that flow into the daily conversation of an average adolescent, but they are just the words that have changed the lives of hundreds of millions of people who are inflicted with the disease every year. With that in mind, Nadine co-initiated a non-profit organization called Mission Against Malaria Society, or MAMS. To date, MAMS has provided malaria prevention supplies to over 600 families in Tanzania, Africa, and is currently documenting the changes in public health of rural malaria-inflicted regions, organizing school awareness programs, and working in tangent with the Tanzanian and International Rotary Clubs. The ultimate goal? To foster an atmosphere of proactive youth and ultimately a generation of leaders who extend their awareness back into their own communities. Being part of Canadas Top 20 Under 20 as of June 2009 has opened up the possibilities of mentorship and our liaising with other international agencies to create long-term sponsorships.
The goal of this talk is to delve into how this issue concerns us, or essentially, why we should care.
Links:
http://missionagainstmalaria.org/
Filmed by Craig Ross at TEDx Terry talks 2009 (October 3rd, 2009). Video edited by David Ng.
