I am writing from my airplane seat at 30,000 feet above the Earth, and after a long 24 hours of travel from the United States, I can finally see the breathtaking landscape of our destination – Madagascar!

Malaria No More's Vice-Chair, John Bridgeland, and I are joining our Measles Initiative campaign partners on the ground for the free distribution of nearly 1.4 million long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets (LLINs) to children under 5.

This bed net distribution is part of Madagascar's Mother and Child Health Week, October 22 to November 2, 2007. The government is integrating a number of health interventions (measles vaccination, de-worming, Vitamin A, along with bed nets) into one program at each of their rural health clinics to provide comprehensive one-stop care, health education, and important reinforcement of the importance of regular clinic visits. That's why Malaria No More is here, to help make sure that when mothers travel to these distribution sites with their children for any of the available health interventions, that they also receive a life saving bed net!

Malaria No More's participation in this campaign is possible because of the generosity of Sumitomo, whose 110,000 LLIN donation to Malaria No More will safeguard the lives of 110,000 children – starting now! Because of Sumitomo's gift, Malaria No More is able to use donor funds for the cost of distributing these nets and educating people on how to use them. We are thrilled that Sumitomo General Manager Tatsuo Mizuno will join us on the ground to see this distribution, first hand. Highlights this week will include a kick-off ceremony with the President of Madagascar and a trip to Betafo, where we will meet some of the Malagasy people benefiting from this effort.

Cooperation among partners in this effort is just incredible. Malaria No More is here with Measles Initiative partners American Red Cross, the President's Malaria Initiative, the United Nations Foundation, Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization, and UNICEF. Also engaged are the Global Fund, Canadian Red Cross, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

This campaign will achieve 100% coverage of vaccinated children 0-59 months in the northwest, west, and south of the country, and in the valleys leading up the highlands from these regions.

Ok, the captain is announcing that we are about to land. I'll be back in touch soon!

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