    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book I)]
    [February 18, 2008]
    [Pages 227-228]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following a Tour of Meru District Hospital in Arusha, Tanzania
    February 18, 2008

        Habari zenu. We have just toured the hospital here, which is on the
    forefront of Tanzania's fight against malaria. I want to thank you,
    doc, for leading the tour, and thank you for your
    compassion. I appreciate the commissioner welcoming us to the district.
    I also want to thank Minister Mwakyusa
    for joining us here in Arusha. I'm grateful for the members of the
    diplomatic corps who've joined us.
        During the visit at this hospital, we met pregnant women who will
    receive insecticide-treated bed nets. We witnessed a pediatric ward and
    observed children being diagnosed and treated. We saw how an historic
    partnership is saving lives across the continent of Africa.
        For years, malaria has been a health crisis in sub-Saharan Africa.
    The disease keeps sick workers home, schoolyards quiet, and communities
    in mourning. The suffering caused by malaria is needless, and every
    death caused by malaria is unacceptable. It is unacceptable to people
    here in Africa, who see their families devastated and their economies
    crippled. It is unacceptable to people in the United States, who believe
    every human life has value and that the power to save lives comes with
    the moral obligation to use it.
        In 2005, I announced that the United States would work to save lives
    through our malaria initiative. Under this 5-year, $1.2 billion program,
    we're working with 15 African countries to cut malaria-related deaths by
    half.
        Our strategy to achieve this goal is straightforward. First, the
    initiative supports indoor residual spraying to keep deadly mosquitoes
    at bay. Here in Tanzania, spraying campaigns have reached hundreds of
    thousands of homes and have protected more than a million people.
        Second, the initiative supports treatment for those who are most
    vulnerable to malaria, especially pregnant women. Here in Tanzania, more
    than 2,400 health workers have been trained to provide specialized
    treatment that prevents malaria in expectant mothers.
        Third, the initiative provides lifesaving drugs. Here in Tanzania,
    the program has supported more than 1 million courses of treatment and
    has trained more than 5,000 health workers in how to use them.
        Fourth, the initiative supports the distribution of insecticide-
    treated bed nets, and Laura and I are about to
    distribute some of those bed nets. This is one of the simplest
    technologies imaginable, but it's also one of the most effective. Here
    in Tanzania, we're working with the Government and partners such as the
    Global Fund to provide bed net vouchers for infants and pregnant
    mothers. Women can use these vouchers to buy bed nets at local shops at
    a huge discount. So far, an estimated 5 million vouchers have been
    distributed through these programs.
        Today I'm pleased to announce new steps in the bed net campaign.
    Within the next 6 months, the United States and Tanzania, in partnership
    with the World Bank and the Global Fund, will begin distributing 5.2
    million free bed nets. This ambitious nationwide program will provide
    enough nets to protect every child between the ages of 1 and 5 in
    Tanzania.
        The bed net campaign is supported by Tanzanian manufacturers,
    including A to Z Textiles, which we will visit later today. So as this
    campaign protects women and children from malaria, it also boasts--
    boosts local economies. It helps develop a culture of bed net use that
    will be sustained long after relief programs have ended.
        For the past 2 years, we've applied our strategy here in Tanzania,
    and we're seeing results. In June 2006, at the district hospital

    [[Page 228]]

    in Muleba, more than 50 people died because of malaria. In June 2007,
    after a spraying campaign supported by our malaria initiative, the
    number of deaths had dropped to five. In Zanzibar, the percentage of
    infants infected with malaria has dropped from about 20 percent to less
    than 1 percent.
        The campaign to fight malaria has the support of government and
    private citizens alike. In the United States, schoolchildren have raised
    money to send bed nets to Africa. Houses of worship have sent their
    prayers and their faithful, compassionate men and women who travel here
    to confront the suffering and heal the sick.
        Tanzanian citizens are stepping forward. In one area, residents
    launched a campaign called Kataa Malaria; for those who don't speak
    Swahili, it means ``Reject Malaria.'' [Laughter] As part of the
    campaign, workers went door to door to teach people how to use bed nets.
    They launched TV and radio ads. They spoke in mosques about malaria
    prevention and treatment. And their efforts are working.
        This is a campaign of compassion. This is a practical way to help
    save lives. It's in the interests of the United States to save lives,
    and it's in the interests of the Tanzanian Government to put forth an
    effective strategy. Our interests are combined, and our interests are
    now making a significant effort.
        And so on behalf of the United States of America, we say, God bless
    you. And to the Tanzanian Government, we say, thank you for your
    efficient and hard work. And so it's been an honor to be with you.
    Asante.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:52 a.m. In his remarks, he referred to
    Aziz Msuya, district medical officer, Meru District Hospital; and
    Minister of Health and Social Welfare David Homeli Mwakyusa of Tanzania.