Story of the Week: Lions-Measles Initiative Pilot Program to Protect 41 Million Children from Measles

As Lions, we’ve been committed to saving and restoring sight for more than 85 years. Now, as part of the Lions-Measles Initiative pilot program, we’re helping vaccinate 41 million children against measles, a leading cause of childhood blindness.  In October, LCIF Chairperson Eberhard Wirfs traveled to Ethiopia and Madagascar with staff from international headquarters to vaccinate at-risk children.

In seven days, our effort reached 2.6 million people in Madagascar alone. Overall, we hope to reach at least 95 percent of children ages 9 to 47 months in Ethiopia, Mali, Madagascar and Nigeria by early 2011. This program was made possible by a US$400,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and a US$300,000 LCIF contribution to the project.

In this video, Chairperson Wirfs and other Lions take part in an immunization clinic in Madagascar. The Minister of Health also provides his thoughts on the importance of this massive effort to eliminate measles by 2015.