Elvis, aged 30, Nigeria

Growing up in Nigeria, Elvis suffered from malaria many times as a child. Now an emergency doctor, he is determined to eliminate this disease within a generation.

In a country like mine, where malaria is part of everyday life, you don’t realise it’s a disease that we can get rid of. You don’t realise that it’s a disease of poverty. So for me, as a doctor, it’s about making sure everyone knows they can play a part in fighting malaria. If more of us have the knowledge, there’s so much more we can do to beat it.

Having malaria is one of the most painful experiences that you can ever go through, something I went through many times as a child. You have the fever, body aches, you can barely function. When I had it I didn’t always have the end in sight. I didn’t know that I would get through it. 

Working in the emergency room, I see children coming in having fits, or with their systems shutting down completely. It’s something that never leaves you. But it does make me determined to make sure I do everything I can to eradicate it.

In terms of inequality, we know malaria keeps more children out of school than you can even imagine. Having an education is the first step to being successful and having a good life. Malaria continues to rob Africa of our prosperity and economic potential. The more effort we put into ending malaria now, the better it is for our future in so many ways. 

If my generation looks around them they will see just how much malaria is affecting them. We must come together to beat this disease once and for all. We can educate ourselves and our friends, we can work within our communities to help get rid of it locally. We must make sure that no stone is left unturned in ending malaria.

 If we come together, nothing can stop us from ending this deadly disease. Join Elvis by being part of the generation to draw a line against malaria.