Malcom X's Daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz, to Travel to Africa

Ilysah Shabazz, the daughter of Malcom X, will be traveling to Africa to help raise awareness about malaria. The trip is being organized by Malaria No More, according to a press release issued by the group via PR Newswire. The group will host Shabazz and other Muslim delegates in the African nation of Mali.

"I'm thrilled to work with Malaria No More to alert Americans to the malaria crisis ravaging Africa," Shabazz was quoted as saying.

Joining Shabazz will be activists, leaders, and scholars from the Muslim-American community. They will represent organizations like the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim Students' Association National. Also represented will be the Islamic Society of North America and the Ministry of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed.

Malaria No More described Mali as a nation experiencing more than 800,000 cases of malaria annually. The dire situation in Mali is a reflection of the broader malaria endemic facing the African continent. "Malaria kills more African children than any other disease - one child every 30 seconds," the press release noted.

But malaria can be prevented using simple tools like bed nets that prevent mosquitoes and other insects from transmitting the disease while people sleep. Bed nets can be provided at a cost of only ten dollars, according to Malaria No More.

The government of Mali is launching a new public health campaign with the help of the partners from the international community. Included in the coalition are the American and Canadian Red Cross, the Canadian International Development Agency, Malaria No More; UNICEF, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization. Population Services International, the President's Malaria Initiative, and the Roll Back Malaria Partnership are also lending a hand.

One goal of the campaign is to provide every Malian child with an insecticide treated bed net that can be used to provide protection from Malaria. But the campaign will go beyond fighting malaria by providing as many as 2.8 million children with vaccinations against measles. Polio vaccinations, de-worming medications, and vitamins will also be distributed to the children of Mali as part of the campaign.

Malaria No More works to raise awareness about the continuing malaria endemic. It also works to deliver bed nets and other life saving materials to Africa. The group's goal is to prevent all deaths caused by the disease.

Ilysah Shabazz is best known for her book about growing up as the daughter of the controversial civil rights leader, Growing Up X.