Malaria: Blood, Sweat and Tears

This exhibition uses art in an effort enhance science and help reach a larger audience with information about malaria. Viewable in full online here, it incorporates a variety of media, including photographs, stamps, illustration, and 3-dimensional objects such as mosquito nets, to create dialogue on the history, science, and global impact of malaria. Mr. Nadel conceptualised the exhibit, conducted the historical and scientific research, and wrote the text used in the show's captions, text panels, and timeline. An illustrator and graphic artist named Kao illustrated a short graphic novel. Portraits and illustrations may be viewed on the Malaria: Blood, Sweat and Tears website, where information and e-cards may be accessed also.

Malaria: Blood, Sweat, and Tears highlights the complex relationship between malaria and poverty, as well as the need for continued international support to combat the disease. The images provide highly personal stories of the physical, emotional, economic, and scientific repercussions of malaria, illustrating the effect it has on families, health workers, and local communities. The photographs were shot in Cambodia, Uganda, and Nigeria over 5 weeks in 2009.

In June 2012, the exhibit opened at the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois, United States (US). Before debuting in Chicago, Malaria: Blood, Sweat, and Tears premiered at the United Nations headquarters in New York (US), where it was viewed by over 100,000 people. The exhibit has also been shown at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta (US), the United Nations in Geneva (Switzerland), the Hôtel de Ville in Paris (France), and the National Museum of Ghana.

Malaria

According to a World Health Organization (WHO) 2011 report, there were about 216 million cases of malaria worldwide in 2010 - more than 400 cases every minute (and these are just the ones that were formally diagnosed). Most cases of malaria occur in sub-Saharan Africa, with the majority occurring in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Cote D'Ivoire, and Mali. More than 80% of the estimated 655,000 malaria deaths in 2010 were children under the age of five, while 10,000 pregnant women lost their lives as a result of malaria. Yet, malaria is a preventable and treatable disease. A combination of effective mosquito netting, insecticides, and prompt and effective medical treatment can prevent these deaths.