Earlier this week, we hosted a contest on Twitter to see who could come up with the most creative tweet connecting vampires and mosquitoes. The winner got two tickets to “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” NYC press screening, which they attended last night. We got some great entries and posted the folly below for your entertainment:

• The vampire’s fangs, the mosquito’s bite, both will transform you by the end of the night.
• Blood is what vamps & mosquitos crave, w.o both lives would be saved, both dont like to come out in the day, its humans they pray!
• Bed nets may save you from deadly mosquitoes, but don’t try to save me from vampires’ libidoes!
• Picture all of the Twilight fans together, then realize that is only a fraction of the deaths caused by Malaria. Impact the Bite!
• A Vampire’s bite cuts like a knife but the mosquito’s bite causes an end to life. Find a cure before you become obscure.
• While the vampire transmits the venom of everlasting life; the anopheles mosquito causes death and a world of strife.
• It’s time to learn about the scary things that come out at night. no, not vampires. malarial mosquitos. time to get aware.

The winning tweet? Both of them are deadly, both attack at night. While Garlic may stop vampires, only bednets stop a mosquito’s bite.

The digital-download album features Juliette Lewis, The Walkmen and Youssou N’Dour, plus an unreleased track from Third Eye Blind and an exclusive cover track from Peter, Bjorn, & John.

Tamara Horton, our partner in this venture, and her colleagues came to us with this brilliant idea because she decided that “…rather than using our connections for great seats and backstage access, let’s use them in a way that will impact many, many others in a positive light for years to come. I’ve always been a fan of Malaria No More (thanks to the boys at FC Barcelona for bringing them on my radar!) and decided to reach out to them with our idea…”

And thus, a match made in music and humanitarian heaven was made. Every $10 album will help Malaria No More empower families in Africa to protect themselves and their children from the bite of a malarial mosquito by providing access to mosquito nets and effective medicines.

Learn more about the album and buy your copy today or give it as a holiday gift! There’s nothing better than giving the gift of music and helping to save lives at the same time. Children sleeping safely? That’s music to our ears…

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.)

After traveling to Zambia, raising funds through her album Coming Back To You and supporting Miles To End Malaria, Melinda will perform at Feinstein’s nightclub November 17^th through 21^st. And we’re proud to show our support for one of MNM’s biggest stars!

To show your support for one of our biggest supporters, purchase your tickets at Feinstein here.

Yesterday the White House officially announced the nomination of Dr. Rajiv Shah to be be Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development. Read an excerpt from the announcement and the Malaria Policy Center blog:

President Obama said, “The mission of USAID is to advance America’s interests by strengthening our relationships abroad.   Rajiv brings fresh ideas and the dedication and impressive background necessary to help guide USAID as it works to achieve this important goal.  I am grateful for all that USAID has accomplished under the leadership of Acting Administrator Alonzo Fulgham, and the thousands of career men and women who fulfill USAID’s mission day in and day out – particularly their hard work in jumpstarting a landmark initiative to bring more than $20 billion for agriculture development to the world’s most food-insecure countries.  I look forward to working with Rajiv in the months and years ahead.”

The digital-only release will be available on November 17th exclusively through Amie Street—and RED and Amie Street will be donating 100% of the proceeds to Malaria No More. The digital-download album is $10, the same cost as a mosquito net that will help families in Africa protect their children from malaria.

Be sure to check back here or at Amie Street to download your copy starting next week!

On the ride home from Mwea Mission Hospital, we stopped at a market center to buy locally-grown rice. When I stepped out of the car, I was immediately saddened by several vacant-eyed children begging for food. Our car driver told us that even when children have enough to eat, they often get the same variety of food year-round, which leads to malnutrition. This scene reminded me that even if a child does not suffer from malaria, his or her health is constantly threatened by other destructive forces. One source of hope are people like the dedicated staff at Mwea– if folks like these continue to reduce malaria, more resources and attention will be freed up to focus on other important issues plaguing communities across Africa.

Later in the trip, I met Dr. Nathan Mulure, Manager of Africa Operations, Malaria Initiatives at Novartis. Dr. Mulure told me that during medical school in Nairobi, he was taught that malaria was a common fact of life, not a disease that could be eradicated. Since, Dr. Mulure has been working to change this fatalistic attitude. In his role at Novartis, he helps to lead National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) “best practice” meetings attended by healthcare workers across Africa. These meetings encourage attendees to share effective techniques used in their local communities and discuss ways to expand access to prevention and treatment tools like antimalarials.

Dr. Mulure is a fine example of someone who has successfully wedded his interests in medicine and policy.  I was impressed with Dr. Mulure’s holistic approach to fighting malaria, which combines science and medicine with anthropology and sociology, policy, and economics for a multilateral attack on the parasite’s reign. From our conversation, I realized that it IS possible to take on responsibilities in both areas and develop a multidisciplinary expertise with tangible accomplishments.

At college campuses across the US, including Stanford, students are often advocating and recruiting their peers to champion different causes. Statistics comparing one issue to another are frequently used to highlight the relative urgency of each cause. I dislike this practice because I don’t think cancer is any less significant than human trafficking or world hunger any less important than heart disease.  When I asked Dr. Mulure about how he would present the topic of malaria to college audiences in a way that communicated its urgency without detracting from the other major diseases or causes, he noted that most illnesses and symptoms of poverty are interconnected.

Dr. Mulure reminded me that malaria is not only a leading killer of children in Africa, but also a leading cause of poverty. In relation to AIDS, malaria is a short-term illness that kills more quickly than AIDS – and people with AIDS are also victims to malaria. By alleviating malaria, not only can we eliminate a major threat to people living with AIDS, we will free up the $12 billion annually that Africa loses each year due to malaria. Ending malaria would also enable healthcare professionals to focus on other epidemics in Africa like AIDS and hunger. Reducing malaria is one step towards ending poverty.

Jessica’s trip to Kenya was supported by Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation and Malaria No More.

I spoke with Silvio Gabriel, Executive Vice President and Head of the Malaria Initiatives at Novartis, about the company’s key role in the malaria fight and the numerous challenges of sustaining non-profit efforts at a for-profit company.

As Mr. Gabriel sees it, anybody can fund malaria control efforts. However, companies like Novartis –with deep medical experience, expertise in training and education programs and knowledge of effectively distributing treatments– have a responsibility to provide patients with the prevention and treatment tools they need to fight malaria. This can help affect the most change.

Reducing the malaria burden is not simply a matter of big money, but of big IMPACT, especially sustainable impact. By raising awareness of Novartis’ Malaria Initiatives program, for example, the company is influencing others to follow their strong example of a public-private model. Such a model encourages other companies to make philanthropic, compassionate work a routine part of corporate activities. Corporate social responsibility programs also pave the way for powerful partnerships, such as that between Novartis and Malaria No More, which further reinforce the positive feedback loop of sustainable impact.

When I asked Mr. Gabriel about his motivations to push the Malaria Initiatives program forward, even in the most challenging situations, he offered encouraging advice: be realistic yet optimistic. He stated that he’s most inspired by the patients and their needs.  It’s the classic theory of “focusing on the solution rather than the problem,” he said. And Mr. Gabriel has proven that this mindset can help reduce suffering related to malaria. “Think of how many lives we can save, not how many people are dying,” concluded Mr. Gabriel. “That’s the way to make a sustainable impact in fighting malaria.”

Jessica’s trip to Kenya was supported by Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation and Malaria No More.

We’re at the ESPN Zone in NYC to recognize a campaign geared to unite the world against malaria leading up the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Additionally, the breakfast welcomes Charles Ssali, a “United Against Malaria” youth ambassador (and soccer fanatic!), visiting from Uganda. Also in attendance is UN Special Envoy for Malaria Ray Chambers, Chairman of Malaria No More Peter Chernin and Major League Commissioner Don Garber, speaking as “Champions” of the campaign, plus Toronto FC player Dwayne de Rosario, US Executive  Director for the ONE Campaign Sheila Nix and United Methodist Church Bishop Thomas Bickerton.

To bring these champions together in friendly competition, we set up a Speed Kick challenge to see who can kick a soccer ball with the most speed to help us reach our goal of ending malaria deaths. The winner has yet to be determined (the champions are still firing away), but results will be in soon!

Be sure to check back on our blog and United Against Malaria sites (Facebook / Twitter) for pictures from the event of the champions, speed kick winner and a surprise guest…

The MIM conference is such an international scene! I love being able to hear presentations from representatives of  multiple African and European countries in a single session and observing the fierce commitment they all share to the same cause. The desire to confront malaria transcends language, homeland, and occupation. All backgrounds are welcome here, even me — an American college student who has never personally suffered from malaria. Another exciting aspect of the conference is that it evidences the endless  possibilities for changing the world. As a college student, my peers are constantly making plans to save the world. Here, I am given affirmation that those dreams don’t fade once we enter the working world. At MIM, I’m hearing from dozens of successful scientists, health care professionals, entrepreneurs, policy makers, journalists, NGOs, and others who have built impressive careers dedicated towards ending malaria. Wanting to make the world a better place is not wholly an elusive idealism. It is a viable and thriving operation that calls for people from all walks of life. The only requirement: determination.

Jessica’s trip to Kenya was supported by Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation and Malaria No More.