Greensboro (April 20, 2006): The Liberian History, Education, & Development, Inc. (LIHIDE) is gratified by the effort of the Chinese government to send two anti-malaria team of experts to help train about fifty Liberians  to combat the infectious but curable disease,  malaria. LIHEDE views the Chinese government's  initiative of responding to malaria control as a positive development in our collective and international campaign to dump malaria into the dustbin of our nation history.
LIHEDE is equally gratified by the decision of the Chinese government to fully engage in on-going national and international efforts aimed at promoting health, peace, unity, reconstruction, democracy, and stability in Liberia, as manifested by the Chinese decision to send experts to fight help malaria.

The continued responses of the Chinese government at this crucial junction of the nation's political transformation in mapping up an integrated malaria control points to the dawn of a new day in Liberian-Chinese relations and a new day in health, social, economic, and political transformations in Liberia.

LIHEDE is fully aware that China has proven that malaria is both controllable and treatable given the right social conditions and medical support. LIHEDE is elated about this new development of the Chinese government's  initiative to join the fight against malaria because our organization was part of the myriad of institutions that had engaged the Chinese government to become a part of the national effort to tackle the disease in Liberia. Dr. Syrulwa Somah, LIHEDE Executive Director, before his recent trip to Liberia in March, 2006, wrote a letter dated December 28, 2005, appealing  to the Chinese Government  through its Ambassador,  Lin Songtian,  to  encourage President Hu Jintao of China to support  LIHEDE's  effort  to host  a National Health Conference in Liberia, which is slated to be held on December 14-19, 2006,  to develop an integrated approach  to control and eventually eradicate the deadly disease-malaria from Liberia.

It is a realism that in order for all Liberians to meaningfully contribute to the reconstruction of our nation, the people of Liberia must begin to enjoy a healthy environment that is free of malaria and other deadly but curable diseases. But should malaria continue to kill nearly 4,500 Liberian children each year,  as millions of dollars in scarce  resources are expended  on buying malaria tablets, mosquito sprays, mosquito coils, and other less effective malaria treatment options, then malaria would continue to remain a serious national security threat in Liberia that undermines the ongoing social and political transformations of the country.

LIHEDE, therefore, wishes to appeal to other nations, Liberian organizations, and friends of Liberia to provide whatever assistance they can in combating and eradicating malaria in Liberia. The present and future generations of Liberian children deserve the chance to grow up into productive citizens and assume the mantle of leadership in Liberia, so every effort must be made to ensure that these children do not become the next victims of malaria. Again, LIHEDE whole heartedly welcomes the good news relative to the Chinese initiative and wishes to commend Ambassador Lin Songtian and his government for their contribution,   which reinforces LIHEDE's goal of malaria- freed Liberia. We can only hope that these confluents of political and diplomatic developments and activities in Liberia   would serve as a motivation for Liberians and friends of Liberia to join the  "We Want No More Malaria in Liberia"  campaign launched by LIHEDE and continue the fight to control and eventually make the disease- malaria a part and parcel of our past history.