Two minutes. Every two minutes, a child dies from malaria. Can you even conceive of this? We can’t. A child somewhere in the world dies from a preventable, treatable disease caused by a single mosquito bite. We’ve both had malaria and have witnessed its effects firsthand in our home countries of Cameroon and Nigeria. It’s unfair that children and families have to suffer. It’s time to end this.

Just recently, we traveled with a small delegation from JCI (Junior Chamber International) to Cameroon with the United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign. As a nonprofit organization of young, active citizens committed to creating impact in communities around the world, we wanted our membership to witness our partnership with Nothing But Nets in action, and help others to better understand the impact malaria has on refugees there.

In fact, we were both impressed and frustrated by what we saw.

Malaria is still a leading killer in Cameroon. But we were impressed to see that many refugees and families who have fled conflict are now safely sleeping under nets thanks to our support of the UN Refugee Agency (UNCHR) in 2014. Our support provided 60,000 nets to refugee populations who are often most at risk for malaria after traveling long distances and being malnourished. A recent national distribution, which has reached people in almost every region of the country, is ensuring every family is protected from this deadly disease. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria played a major role in this distribution of 15.8 million insecticide-treated bed nets. We work with Nothing But Nets to advocate for strong leadership and funding for The Global Fund, so we were pleased to see the progress that’s been made.

Albert’s family has one bed net that must be shared among six people — it isn’t enough

In Douala, we met Albert, a married father of four, who fled the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2002. Formerly an electronics handyman, Albert now acts as a community leader and liaison for refugee communities starting new lives in Doula after fleeing violence and instability in their home countries. He is slight, and mild mannered. He has built trust within his community and seeks to help families rebuild.

Albert’s family has one bed net that must be shared among six people — it isn’t enough. His youngest, Gradi, is three years old and suffers from malaria the most. He likes to sneak outdoors at night because the heat is too much to handle at times. He jumps in pools of stagnant water, which often breed mosquitoes, to cool off. They are grateful for the one net they have, but they know that their family continues to live under the threat of malaria.

We are both fathers and we can’t imagine what Albert’s family has endured. We don’t want him to have to worry about his kids being sick or even dying from a single mosquito bite. We have to help. It is our duty. We need to double our efforts to fight this disease.

Across sub-Saharan Africa, Nothing But Nets works closely with the UNHCR and UNICEF to provide bed nets and other malaria interventions to refugees and people displaced by conflict. Last year, the campaign launched The Million Nets Pledge, a commitment to deliver more than one million bed nets and other malaria interventions to refugee families in need. This was a bold commitment to protect those most vulnerable, as they need our help.

Since 2008, JCI has partnered with Nothing But Nets. For the last eight years our members from 120 countries around the world have helped create awareness, advocate, and have raised close to US $3.5 million to bring malaria interventions to refugees and families across Central Africa. They’ve been working to directly prevent malaria in their local communities (like we saw in Cameroon) and they are advocating for crucial funding for the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

We need to double our efforts to fight this disease.

Now in its tenth year, Nothing But Nets continues this ambitious work and after returning from our trip, JCI is proud to commit to raising funds for 30,000 more life-saving nets this year to help protect vulnerable refugees.

Over the course of its partnership, the world has made tremendous strides to defeat malaria — reducing child deaths in sub-Saharan Africa by 71% since 2000. The UN estimates that more than 6.2 million lives have been saved since 2000, and that the targets for Millennium Development Goal 6 have been met or surpassed. The UN and global leaders now seek to reduce cases and deaths from malaria worldwide by 90% and to eliminate malaria in at least 35 countries by 2030.

A child still dies every two minutes, and that’s one too many. No child should die from a mosquito bite. We’re going to work hand in hand with Nothing But Nets and help lead the generation who defeats malaria for good.