My family’s ten years in Tanzania provided many adventures and joys, but almost no one can live in East Africa that long and avoid contracting malaria.  It was a part of our normal life in Tanzania, and we accepted it as we did colds and the flu. We averaged about three rounds of malaria each year. The very worst was watching our children Matthew, Will and Joanna deal with the characteristic fever, vomiting, diarrhea, aching joints, and headaches.  Matthew was only 5 years old when he was first hit with malaria. Fortunately, he recovered, but some of his friends were not as lucky.

Now in college, Matthew spent a semester “back home” in Tanzania, and once again contracted malaria. But this time, much quicker testing was available, and he received a new medication that is in wide use.

Zanzibar, our favorite site for vacations, once was a place where we expected to pick up malaria. During my last visit there, I was astonished when a taxi driver explained that there are now very few cases on that island, thanks to a concerted use of nets, spraying, and quick treatment.

Malaria is not yet defeated, and our family, along with the rest of the world, looks forward to the day when malaria is no more. In the mean time, I am delighted to report that our family is now healthy and strong.

Kristen Swanson teaches in the Pennridge Middle Schools in Bucks County, PA, and volunteers with development projects in Rwanda and Tanzania.

The clock is counting down on our Father’s Day auction, which closes out tomorrow afternoon! Take you’re chance to bid on guitars signed by the likes of the legendary Carlos Santana and Elvis Costello, in addition to an exclusive VIP visit to the FOX NFL Sunday studio during the upcoming NFL season. Proceeds from the auction will go to support the work of Malaria No More

Bid and win today!

This week, former MNM Policy Intern Kristine Silvestri was featured as a guest contributor to Nicholas Kristof’s New York Times column, “On the Ground.” Kristine, a recent graduate of Elon University in North Carolina, wrote about her harrowing experience contracting malaria while she was studying abroad in Ghana.

Contracting uncomplicated malaria, and having it “morph into a dangerous, drug-resistant strain,” due to two rounds of substandard treatment at Ghanaian clinics, brought Kristine to the sobering realization that her citizenship and social status saved her life. The malaria so severely debilitated Kristine’s health that her upper body became partially paralyzed, and she could only walk a few feet before going unconscious. “Noting my poor health,” she writes, “Ghanians graciously transported me to a private clinic that serves foreigners and wealthy Ghanaians.”

Over a year and a half later, Kristine is still undergoing physical and cognitive therapy to reach a full recovery.  She writes that she is more determined than ever to end malaria deaths in her lifetime. That’s what we call a fighter.

Read Kristine’s full column here.

Kate is the new Communications Intern. She’s been working hard at getting staff ready for Senegal – water bottles, granola bars and backpacks, oh my.

Today, London-based designer Markus Lupfer unveiled his limited-edition Malaria No More ‘net dress’ for the UK online fashion store ASOS.

The elegant, ready-to-wear party piece embodies Lupfer’s talent for artfully recreating everyday classics. It is fitted to the knee in midnight blue jersey underlay, topped with black tulle netting that forms an oversized shoulder bow to promote the use of mosquito nets in the fight against malaria.

“I was inspired by Malaria No More UK’s mission and the simplicity of the project,” said Lupfer. “As a fabric, netting is strong and surprisingly versatile and I am pleased to see the net finish works on this piece, a somewhat experimental take on a little black dress!”

All proceeds from the dress will support Malaria No More UK’s efforts to combat the disease in sub Saharan Africa. This is ASOS’s second product for Malaria No More UK, following the success of Stephen Webster’s limited edition Mosquito ring in autumn 2009, which sold out in record time and was worn by Victoria Beckham.

Sadly, the net dress is only on sale in the UK—which means those of us in the US will need to wait for this amazing design to catch on Stateside!

Mmm…beer.

At least that’s what you used to think. But now, thanks to researchers publishing in PLoS magazine, we learn that malarial mosquitoes are more attracted to people who have been drinking beer—making the Brewsky Crowd prime targets for the disease:

25 adult males consumed a liter of beer and 18 consumed an equal amount of water.  The researchers measured how attracted mosquitoes were to the men’s scent before and one hour after consuming the beer or water. The insects were more attracted to the scents of men who had drunk the beer than they were to that of the men before drinking or those who had drunk the water.

Looks like that Red Stripe rattling around in the Malaria No More office fridge is going to remain untouched for while…

Today is International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate women around the world and recognize the challenges they face today and everyday. At Malaria No More, we’d like to recognize the women who are helping to end malaria deaths around the world and making a better tomorrow for mothers and children.

Topping our list are the mothers, grandmothers, aunts and sisters who work every day to protect their children from malaria and fight the disease in their homes and communities. These women are at the front-lines of the malaria fight and their determination is the hallmark of the world’s winning effort to stop malaria in its tracks.

Here are some other notable women fighting the malaria fight, day in and day out, to make a malaria-free world for women everywhere:

• Melinda Gates of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is charting new territory in the fight against disease.
• Margaret Chan, the fearless head of the World Health Organization, keeps malaria on the map.
• Awa Marie Coll Seck leads the Roll Back Malaria Partnership with a singularity of purpose and unwavering resolve.
• Ann Veneman advocates for children and their right to protect themselves from malaria at UNICEF.
• Mama Kikwete, First Lady of Tanzania, shows her country that no child need die of malaria.

This list does not come close to recognizing all of the women who are working to end malaria deaths in Africa. To every woman who works for a malaria-free world, we thank you.

Is there anyone you’d like to add to the list? Send in your suggestions and we’ll post them!

Just in time for the holidays, Chase is hosting a Facebook contest for charities from November 15 to December 11. The concept is easy. Facebook folks vote for their favorite charities and the top 100 charities win a hefty holiday gift from Chase ranging from $25,000 to $1,000,000.

Help us get on Santa’s Nice List by clicking on the button below:

Hey there, all you “New Moon” fans!

Malaria No More is a beneficiary of a special charity screening of “New Moon” on Thursday, November 19th in New York City. Find details about tickets here.

ALSO, Malaria No More has scored four tickets to the advance New York press screening of “New Moon”—the latest installment in the blockbuster Twilight series—for Wednesday, November 18th.

See the new movie two days before it hits theaters and show YOU are the biggest Twilight fan around. Join New York’s movie critics and cinema writers at the exclusive press-only preview.

We’re offering two tickets each to one lucky winner on Twitter and one on Facebook–here are the details:

On Twitter: In 140 characters or less, tell us how vampires are like malarial mosquitoes. The winning tweet must be creative—and the best Tweet will win you two free tickets. Be sure to include #MNMBlood so we can find your tweet.

On Facebook: Become “Top Recruiter” for the Malaria No More Twilight Causes page on Facebook and win two tickets! Get your friends to sign up and support the cause—and maybe they’ll get to be your lucky guest!

Both contests are from now until 3pm ET on Wednesday, November 18th. We’ll Tweet and Facebook post the winners and have you get in touch to get your tix.

(Note: contest winners receive tickets only; transportation and other arrangements are not provided.)

Want to get involved but don’t know where to start or how to throw a fundraiser? No worries. America’s Giving Challenge is here to help.

Last week, the Causes app on Facebook got a face-lift. American’s Giving Challenge works through Causes to help support the charities YOU support. The challenge launched on October 7 and ends this November 6, offering cash awards totaling $170,000. The awards work like this: there’s a daily winner of $1000 – the charity with the most number of donors per day, and there’s a challenge winner of $50,000 – the charity with the most donations over the course of the month.

We have a shot at winning this thing and need your help to champion us to the top! From now until November 6, visit us on Causes and donate $10 or more to your favorite cause.