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QUOTE OF THE DAY
President Bush Tours Meru District Hospital, Discusses Malaria
Meru District Hospital
Arusha, Tanzania

THE PRESIDENT: Habari zenu. We have just toured the hospital here, which is on the forefront of Tanzania's fight against malaria. I want thank you, Doc, for leading the tour, and 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 to members of the Diplomatic Corps who have 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-Sahara Africa. The disease keeps sick workers home, schoolyards quiet, communities in mourning. The suffering caused by malaria is needless and every death caused by malaria is unacceptable. It is unacceptable. It is unacceptable to people here in Africa, who see their families devastated and 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 five-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 life-saving drugs. Here in Tanzania, the program has supported more than a million courses of treatment, and has trained more than 5,000 health workers 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 six 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 one and five in Tanzania.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

President George W. Bush gets under an insecticide mosquito net, used to combat malaria, as he visits A to Z textile mills in Arusha, Tanzania, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008.

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Dose going up please wait for the all clear before posting or reposting any photos or graphics

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White House website photos from yesterday - thank you very much Kaslin for sorting them for me

Mrs. Laura Bush and Mrs. Salma Kikwete, First Lady of Tanzania, exchange handshakes after Mrs. Bush presented Mrs. Kikwete with keys to an ambulance Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008, during her visit to Dar es Salaam. The ambulance will be donated to Sokoine Regional Hospital and will be used in the Lindi Region, one of the poorest and neediest in the country. The donation was a result of a joint visit to the hospital by Mrs. Kikwete and Pam White, left, USAID Mission Director. White House photo by Shealah Craighead

Mrs. Laura Bush pats the back of 7-year-old Zuwena Dooto, after she presented Mrs. Bush with a scrapbook during the launch of the National Plan for Action event at the WAMA Foundation Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008, in Dar es Salaam. White House photo by Eric Draper

Mrs. Laura Bush waves to a child as she tours the stations of the WAMA Foundation in Dar es Salaam Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008. The Foundation is a non-profit founded by Mrs. Salma Kikwete, First Lady of Tanzania, focusing on development by improving women's social and economic status by redefining gender roles and creating more opportunities for the development of women and children. White House photo by Shealah Craighead

Mrs. Laura Bush and Mrs. Salma Kikwete sit at the head of the table during a roundtable Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008, in Dar es Salaam, with Madrasa graduates who have received HIV prevention education as part of their religious instruction. Madrasa training is comparable to the training students in the U.S. receive in Sunday school or Hebrew school. White House photo by Shealah Craighead

A young participant listens during an HIV/AIDS roundtable discussion with Mrs. Laura Bush and Mrs. Salma Kikwete, First Lady of Tanzania, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008, in Dar es Salaam. White House photo by Shealah Craighead

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Mrs. Laura Bush and Mrs. Salma Kikwete acknowledge the performance of the Madrasa Salima Choir as they depart Karimjee Hall Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008, after participating in a roundtable discussion on HIV/AIDS. White House photo by Shealah Craighead

A young girl rests her head on Mrs. Laura Bush's lap Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008, as she visits with orphans and caretakers in the Living Room of the WAMA Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Salma Kikwete, First Lady of Tanzania. White House photo by Shealah Craighead

Mrs. Laura Bush applauds as Mrs. Salma Kikwete, First Lady of Tanzania, holds up the National Costed Plan of Action for Most Vulnerable Children, 2007-2010, supported both financially and technically by PEPFAR and UNICEF, during the visit by Mrs. Bush to the WAMA Foundation in Dar es Salaam. White House photo by Shealah Craighead

Mrs. Laura Bush and Mrs. Salma Kikwete, First Lady of Tanzania, enjoy Salvation Army Children as they perform on stage Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008, at the WAMA Foundation in Dar es Salaam. The foundation, founded by Mrs. Kikwete, is a non-profit organization focusing on development by improving women's social and economic status by redefining gender roles and creating more opportunities for the development of women and children. White House photo by Shealah Craighead

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Photos from yesterday from Fox News - thank you very much Kaslin for sorting them for Me

Feb. 17: Tanzanian dancers wear "kanga", traditional African cloths, bearing the image of President Bush as they perform for President Bush, not pictured, at a social dinner held at the State House in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Feb. 17: President Bush and Tanzania's President Jakaya Kikwete toast at the social dinner held at the State House in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Feb. 17: A billboard urges President Bush to "Feel at Home" as Tanzanians walk past the front of his hotel in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Feb. 17: President George W. Bush is accompanied by Tanzania's President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, rear center, and first lady Laura Bush, rear right, as he greets patients in the outpatient area of the Amana District Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Feb. 17: President George W. Bush lays a wreath for the victims of the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombing at the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Feb. 17: Nurses and hospital staff members wear "kanga", traditional African cloths, bearing the image of U.S. President George W. Bush as President Bush tours Amana District Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Feb. 17: President George W. Bush, left, shakes hands with Tanzania's President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete at the end of a news conference with at the Tanzanian State House in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

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Feb. 17: Billboards of U.S. President George W. Bush, near the Tanzanian State House in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Feb. 17: President George W. Bush walks through a ceremonial arrival cordon with Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete at the State House in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Feb. 17: President Bush shakes hands with with Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete after a news conference with at the Tanzanian State House in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Feb. 17: President Bush shakes hands with Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete after signing the Millennium Challenge Compact agreement during a ceremony at the State House in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Feb. 17: President Bush walks through a ceremonial arrival cordon with Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete at the State House in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

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TODAY

President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush wave from Air Force One as dancers perform during a welcoming ceremony at Kilimanjaro International Airport in Arusha, Tanzania, February 18, 2008.

President George W. Bush watches dancers perform during a welcoming ceremony at Kilimanjaro International Airport in Arusha February 18, 2008.

President George W. Bush is welcomed by Maasai dancers on his arrival Monday, Feb. 18, 2008 to the airport in Arusha, Tanzania. White House photo by Eric Draper

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President George W. Bush is greeted by Maasai dancers as he arrives in Arusha, Tanzania, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008.

Crowds cheer and wave flags as the motorcade of President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush travel Monday, Feb. 18, 2008 to the Meru District Hospital in Arusha, Tanzania. White House photo by Shealah Craighead

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President George W. Bush greets a young child on his arrival Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, for a tour of the outpatient clinic of the Meru District Hospital in Arusha, Tanzania. White House photo by Eric Draper

President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush pose for a photo Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, with patients and staff at the Meru District Hospital outpatient clinic in Arusha, Tanzania. White House photo by Eric Draper

President George W. Bush greets and thanks the staff of the Meru District Hospital Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, for their work at the hospital's outpatient clinic in Arusha, Tanzania. White House photo by Eric Draper

President George W. Bush walks with Dr. Aziz Msuya Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, during a tour of the Meru District Hospital outpatient clinic in Arusha, Tanzania. White House photo by Eric Draper

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Mrs. Laura Bush smiles as she meets with patients and staff Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, doing a tour of the outpatient clinic at the Meru District Hospital in Arusha, Tanzania. White House photo by Shealah Craighead

Mrs. Laura Bush views a medical slide thru a microscope Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, during a tour of the Meru District Hospital outpatient clinic in Arusha, Tanzania. White House photo by Eric Draper

President George W. Bush embraces a hospital staff member Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, during a tour of the outpatient facility at the Meru District Hospital in Arusha, Tanzania. White House photo by Eric Draper

A woman in an out-patient clinic reacts to meeting U.S. President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush during their visit to Meru District Hospital in Arusha February 18, 2008.

President George W. Bush greets patients in the pediatric outpatient clinic during a tour Meru District Hospital in Arusha, Tanzania, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008.

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President George W. Bush sits in an out-patient clinic during a visit to Meru District Hospital in Arusha February 18, 2008.

President George W. Bush talks with Dr. Aziz Msuya as he sits with patients during a malaria ante-natal preventative treatment session in the pediatric outpatient clinic during a tour of Meru District Hospital in Arusha, Tanzania, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008.

President George W. Bush stands with first lady Laura Bush as he makes a statement on his malaria initiative at Meru District Hospital in Arusha, Tanzania, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008.

President George W. Bush presents a mosquito net to a patient during a tour Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, of the Meru District Hospital outpatient clinic in Arusha, Tanzania. The mosquito nets are part of a program to help in the battle against malaria. White House photo by Eric Draper

President George W. Bush embraces a pregnant woman after presenting her with a mosquito net during a tour Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, of the Meru District Hospital outpatient clinic in Arusha, Tanzania. The presentation of mosquito nets is part of a program to help in the battle against malaria. White House photo by Eric Draper

President George W. Bush (L) hugs a pregnant woman after presenting her with a mosquito net during a visit to Meru District Hospital in Arusha February 18, 2008.

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President George W. Bush hands a mosquito net as part of efforts to combat malaria during a tour of Meru District Hospital in Arusha, Tanzania, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008.

President George W. Bush (3rd L) kisses a pregnant woman after presenting her with a mosquito net during a visit to Meru District Hospital in Arusha February 18, 2008. Looking on is Dr. Aziz Msuya (L) and first lady Laura Bush.

President George W. Bush (2nd L) holds hands with a pregnant woman after presenting her with a mosquito net as Dr. Aziz Msuya looks on during a visit to Meru District Hospital in Arusha February 18, 2008.

An employee at the A to Z Textile Mills in Arusha, Tanazia, stitches mosquito nets Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, where President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush toured the mill and visited with employees. White House photo by Shealah Craighead

Workers at the A to Z Textile Mills in Arusha, Tanazia, stitch mosquito nets Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, where President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush toured the mill and visited with employees. White House photo by Shealah Craighead

President George W. Bush (2nd L) tours A to Z Textile Mills in Arusha February 18, 2008. The mill manufactures bed netting that helps protect against malaria.

President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush tour A to Z textile mills, which produces insecticide mosquito nets to combat malaria, in Arusha, Tanzania, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008.

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President George W. Bush meets workers producing insecticide mosquito nets, used to combat malaria, during a visit to A to Z textile mills in Arusha, Tanzania, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008.

President George W. Bush steps under a mosquito netting during a tour of A to Z Textile Mills in Arusha February 18, 2008.

Mrs. Laura Bush speaks with the management representatives of A to Z Textiles Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, in Arusha, Tanzania, where workers stitch mosquito nets in the fight against malaria. White House photo by Shealah Craighead

Students line up to welcome President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, to the Maasai Girls School in Arusha, Tanzania. White House photo by Eric Draper

President George W. Bush greets school girls during a visit to Maasai Girls School in Arusha, Tanzania, February 18, 2008.

President Bush is accompanied by Ndinini Kimersa, executive director of the Maasai Women's Education Development Orgranization, center, as he tours the Maasai Girls School in Arusha, Tanzania, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008.

President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush join children and their families during a welcoming program Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, at the Maasai Girls School in Arusha, Tanzania. White House photo by Eric Draper

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President Bush sits with students during a visit to the Maasai Girls School in Arusha, Tanzania, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008

President Bush sits with Maasai students during a visit to the Maasai Girls School in Arusha, Tanzania, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008.

President George W. Bush visits with students and staff Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, at the Maasai Girls School in Arusha, Tanzania. White House photo by Eric Draper

President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush applaud a dance performance Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, at the Maasai Girls School in Arusha, Tanzania. White House photo by Shealah Craighead

President George W. Bush, joined by Mrs. Laura Bush, greets guests, students and their families during a welcome program Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, to the Maasai Girls School in Arusha, Tanzania. White House photo by Eric Draper

President George W. Bush joins members of a Maasai warrior dance group during their performance to welcome President Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, to the Maasai Girls School in Arusha, Tanzania. White House photo by Eric Draper

President George W. Bush watches traditional Africa warriors perform during a visit to Maasai Girls School in Arusha, Tanzania, February 18, 2008.

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President Bush, center, is surrounded by Tanzanians in traditional warrior dress as he tours the Maasai Girls School in Arusha, Tanzania, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008

President Bush greets students as he tours the Maasai Girls School in Arusha, Tanzania, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008

President George W. Bush thanks a Maasai warrior dance group for their performance in welcoming President Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, to the Maasai Girls School in Arusha, Tanzania. White House photo by Eric Draper

President George W. Bush kisses a tall Maasai woman after receiving a gift during a visit to Maasai Girls School in Arusha February 18, 2008.

President George W. Bush admires hand crafts during a visit to Maasai Girls School in Arusha February 18, 2008.

President Bush, with Tanzanian shillings in his hand, gets ready to pay for a spear carved into a Maasai woman, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, at a handicrafts table during a visit to the Maasai Girls School in Arusha, Tanzania.

President George W. Bush holds a spear that he bought during a visit to Maasai Girls School in Arusha, Tanzania, February 18, 2008.

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President George W. Bush admires a spear that he bought during a visit to Maasai Girls School as Ndinini Kimersa, Executive Director of the Maasai Women's Education Development Organization, looks on in Arusha, Tanzania, February 18, 2008.

President George W. Bush visits with students in a classroom Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, at the Maasai Girls School in Arusha, Tanzania. White House photo by Eric Draper

President Bush, left, visits a classroom during a tour of the Maasai Girls School in Arusha, Tanzania, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008. Accompanying President Bush, from second from left are: Sister Mary Vertucci, director of the Emusoi Center, Ndinini Kimersa, executive director of the Maasai Women's Education Development Organization, and first lady Laura Bush.

President Bush holds a copy of "The Cat in the Hat" during a classroom visit at the Maasai Girls School in Arusha, Tanzania, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008.

President George W. Bush hugs a woman after a visit to Maasai Girls School in Arusha, Tanzania, February 18, 2008

A sign welcomes President George W. Bush, Monday, February 18, 2008 in the Tanzanian capitol of Dar es Salaam. White House photo by Chris Greenberg

Women work serving dishes of fish, rice and beans at the fish market, Monday, February 18, 2008 in the Tanzanian capitol of Dar es Salaam. White House photo by Chris Greenberg

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Little boys in school uniforms pose for a photo, Monday, February 18, 2008 in the Tanzanian capitol of Dar es Salaam. White House photo by Chris Greenberg

Fishing boats sit at the ready on the beach adjacent to the fish market, Monday, February 18, 2008 in the Tanzanian capitol of Dar es Salaam. White House photo by Chris Greenberg

President George W. Bush greets Tanzanian troops who served in Darfur, at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam February 18, 2008.

President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush board Air Force One as Tanzanian troops who served in Darfur march off the tarmac at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam February 18, 2008.

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Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (L) greets former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in Nairobi February 18, 2008

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (L) listens to former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan during a news conference in Nairobi February 18, 2008.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, left, and former U.N. chief Kofi Annan, look each other prior giving a statement in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday Feb. 18 2008.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice talks during a news conference in Nairobi February 18, 2008

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Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrives for talks with President Mwai Kibaki at Harambee House, the Office of the President in Nairobi, February 18, 2008.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice shakes hands with Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki (R) at Harambee House, the Office of the President in Nairobi, February 18, 2008.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice leaves after a meeting with President Mwai Kibaki (R) at Harambee House, the Office of the President in Nairobi, February 18, 2008.

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Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice, centre, with Raila Odinga, left, and Musalia Mudavadi, right, at US Ambassador Michael Ranneberger's residence in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008

Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice speaks to journalists at US Ambassador Michael Ranneberger's residence in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008 .

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Former President George H.W. Bush, center, greets Republican presidential hopeful, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. in Houston, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008. McCain's wife Cindy is at right.

Former President George H.W. Bush, right, and Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., meet in Houston, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008.

Former President George H.W. Bush arrives at a news conference in Houston, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, where he endorsed Republican presidential hopeful, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., for the Republican nomination.

Former President George H.W. Bush walks toward a podium for a news conference in Houston, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, where he endorsed Republican presidential hopeful, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.