{mosimage}August 10, 2007 – The Office of the U.S. Malaria Coordinator is proud to announce the release of the August 2007 President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) Newsletter.
The August 2007 PMI newsletter is a monthly update on the U.S. Government's commitment to battle malaria. This issue features stories about programs the PMI is funding in the fight against malaria in Uganda and Tanzania, as well as coverage from First Lady Laura Bush’s trip to Africa.
President's Malaria Initiative E-Newsletter
Mrs. Laura Bush Highlights Malaria Efforts During Africa Trip
In June 2007, Rear Adm. Tim Ziemer, U.S. Malaria Coordinator, joined Mrs. Laura Bush in Mozambique and Zambia during the First Lady’s four-country visit to Africa. Mrs. Bush handed out bed nets in Senegal, Mozambique, Zambia, and donned a white face mask in Matola, Mozambique, to show the benefits of spraying homes with insecticide to combat malaria. She completed her five-day trip by visiting a school in Mali and highlighting poverty reduction initiatives there.
Also in Mozambique, Mrs. Bush launched an interfaith anti-malaria campaign and promoted the role of faith-based organizations in combating disease in Africa. In Zambia, the First Lady highlighted an unprecedented partnership between government, businesses, and religious groups to reduce the suffering caused by malaria by distributing 500,000 insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) to young children, pregnant mothers, and people infected with HIV/AIDS before the next malaria season in November.
Mrs. Bush Speaks at the National Press Club Newsmakers Luncheon About Her Four-Country Visit to Africa
At the National Press Club on July 25, Mrs. Bush gave a speech entitled, “Why Africa,” where she discussed her recent trip to Zambia, Mozambique, Senegal and Mali. She talked about her experiences in these countries and how successful the presidential initiatives such as PMI and PEPFAR have been in these areas.
PMI Partnerships Crucial to Progress
Given the enormous burden of malaria and the ambitious target of halving the number of malaria deaths worldwide by 2010, effective partnerships, particularly at the country level, are essential to reach the maximum number of people with life-saving interventions. Such partnerships are at the heart of PMI's strategy to bring programs to scale. ExxonMobil and ExxonMobil Foundation, for instance, have given a total of $2 million in support of PMI's activities in Angola.
