Magnum on Malaria

Malaria No More

Afro Alpine Pharma factory, Kabale, Uganda. April 16, 2007. Dry artemisia leaves, used in the production of medication, are bagged then weighed at the factory. A farmer can get around $15 for a 30kg bag, almost three times the amount they could earn for food crops. Kabebe William awaits the weight tally on how much artemisia he brought in 14 bags. Chien-Chi Chang/Magnum on Malaria

Magnum photographer Chien-Chi Chang is currently in Uganda, accompanied by writer Kyu-Young Lee, to document the many sides of the malaria story – the tragedy, the solutions, the hope for tackling this disease – through the narrative potential of photography. It is the first effort of a new, ongoing project we’re calling Magnum On Malaria, through which we will track the worldwide effort to bring this disease under control. In the run up to Malaria Awareness Day on April 25, Chang will visit factories where first-line malaria drugs are being produced, fields where key ingredients are being grown, medical clinics where malaria is the number one cause of visits, homes where bed nets are used, a bed net distribution center and a brand new state-of-the art bed net factory.

Donate money for bed nets as part of the Magnum on Malaria/Malaria No More partnership.

Chang has just begun filing photographs from the last few days in Uganda. Watch this space as we explore the story of malaria through his lense.

The story of malaria begins with the scale of the problem. 40 percent of the world’s population, some 3.2 billion people, are at risk of contracting malaria. There are 350 to 500 million diagnosed cases each year. The problem is most severe in sub-Saharan Africa where more than 1 million people die every year from the disease. Children and pregnant women are most vulnerable: malaria is the leading cause of death among children in Africa, with a child dying every 30 seconds from the disease; women are four times as likely to contract malaria as other adults, resulting in miscarriages and dangerously low birth weights.

Continue reading 'Magnum on Malaria'