Hedge Funds vs. Malaria

New York, N.Y. — The Hedge Fund community is proud to announce the launch of the first annual Hedge Funds vs. Malaria Leadership Conference. The four hour conference brings together a distinguished group of business, medical, and theological leaders to present their insights on Africa, business, leadership and malaria. These speakers will be hosted and introduced by leaders of the hedge fund community. The conference will be held on Tuesday September 20, 2005. Registration begins at 3:00 PM and will take place between 3:30 PM – 7:00PM at the New York Marriott Marquis Astor Ballroom 1535 Broadway (between 45th and 46th Street).
Between one million and three million children worldwide die from malaria each year (more than aids and cancer combined) even though malaria is a completely preventable disease that is transmitted by mosquitoes. Malaria is also the worst killer of mothers on the planet.

The goals of the organizers of the Hedge Funds vs. Malaria Conference are to (1) raise awareness of malaria in the business and investment communities (2) raise funds for the establishment of Malaria Free Zones (MFZs) through the Free Africa Foundation and (3) organize a volunteer force to help all malaria related charities worldwide.
Malaria, earth’s largest killer ever, is the worst positioned and marketed disease in world history. Over 95% of the people we surveyed about malaria were unaware that millions of children are dying from malaria. There is no malaria lobby in Washington. There is no organized malaria PR effort. There are few relevant charitable efforts focused exclusively on malaria. There are few malaria education efforts in the United States. Governmental spending on malaria control initiatives worldwide are difficult to audit. These problems are exacerbated by the fact that malaria is normally subsumed under the overall banner of world poverty and aids. Malaria needs to stand out on its own. We believe that only by making malaria an independent cause can it be eradicated.

The purpose of creating Malaria Free Zones (MFZs) is to demonstrate a cost-effective, efficiently run model which can eradicate malaria and be replicated in other parts of Africa. Each MFZ will benefit from the best three lines of defense in the fight against malaria – bednets, medication and sprays. The Total Projected Direct Cost to protect a village of 900 people is approximately $8,000.


Hundreds of volunteers are needed to help lead the effort to raise awareness of the malaria emergency that is currently taking place in Africa. (it is estimated that 90% of malaria deaths worldwide occur in Africa. It is also estimated that 90% of malaria deaths occur in children under the age of five). We are encouraging everyone who is interested in volunteering to help this cause to attend the conference (please contact us at vs.malaria@gmail.com to request sign-up information to attend the conference as a guest of the Hedge Fund Community).



Corporations are also invited to join in the effort to eradicate malaria. Dale & Thomas Popcorn and Isiah Thomas (an investor in Dale & Thomas as well as one of the namesakes of Dale & Thomas Popcorn) are proud to be the first corporate sponsors of the hedge fund community's important effort to eradicate malaria by establishing malaria free zones in Africa.


The speakers at our conference are leaders in their respective fields. George Ayittey, who comes from Ghana, is the President of the Free Africa Foundation. A former winner of the H.L. Mencken award for "Best Book for 1992" (The award is named after the American journalist who championed personal freedom) his recent book Africa Unchained presents the framework for Africans rebuilding Africa. The Very Reverend James Parks Morton is the Founder & President, The Interfaith Center of New York and the Dean Emeritus, The Cathedral of St. John the Divine. He has achieved recognition throughout the world as one of the most energetic and accomplished religious leaders of our time. Larry Salander is President of Salander-O'Reilly Galleries in New York, named best gallery in the world by the 2003 Robb Report. Reed Kramer is the CEO of AllAfrica Global Media operator of AllAfrica.com. Carol Pineau is a journalist who has specialized in Africa for more than a decade and is a frequent contributor to CNN Inside Africa. Ms. Pineau has spent the past year filming throughout Africa and producing and directing two independent documentaries on Africa's entrepreneurs and emerging markets. The first of her films, Africa Open for Business, premiered in April 2005 and screened at the Cannes Film Festival, World Economic Forum, U.S. Congress and the Department of State. Rustom Masalawala is the CEO Kejejee Enterprises. For the past four years Rustom managed the Health Portfolio at the Acumen Fund, which is a non-profit organization focused on investing models in the developing world. William Easterly is Professor of Economics at
New York University, joint with African Studies, and Co-Director of NYU's Development Research Institute. Frank J. Bia MD MPH is the Co-director of the International Health Program at Yale University School of Medicine and one of the world's foremost experts on malaria. Samantha Daniels is a Celebrity Matchmaker and Author of the new book, Matchbook, the Diary of a Modern Day Matchmaker (Simon and Schuster 2005). Steven J. Corwin, M.D., is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Frederick
Finkelstein, is the Chief of Nephrology, Hospital of St. Raphael and Clinical Professor of Medicine at Yale. Stephen Hoffman is founder and Chief Executive and Scientific Officer of Sanaria Inc., the only company in the world entirely dedicated to developing and commercializing a malaria vaccine (www.sanaria.com).

These speakers will be introduced by leading hedge fund managers including David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital, Charles Garner of Island Capital, Joel Greenblatt of Gotham Capital, Douglas Hirsch of Seneca Capital, Marc Lasry of Avenue Capital Group, Eugene Major of Dunbar Capital, Daniel Nir of Gracie Capital, and Jeff Tannenbaum of Fir Tree Partners.
For more information contact us at vs.malaria@gmail.com
Contact: Lance Laifer
Email: vs.malaria@gmail.com