Mosquitoes in Crew Centre at Schiphol

This week, the Crew Centre at Schiphol is focusing on malaria. From 7 to 11 June, KLM Inflight Services and Flight Operations will draw attention to Malaria No More! Netherlands, which KLM is supporting within the framework of its AirCares programme. The stand was officially opened Monday morning, June 7, by two KLM employees, Michiel de Nooy (VP B777 unit/VP Operations) and Ad van Haaren (VP Cabin Crew Management), and Arjan Erkel, Director of Malaria No More! Netherlands.

Every year, at least two KLM employees return from a trip with malaria although they could easily have protected themselves with antimalarial drugs. But then it seems that not every member of KLM's staff is aware of the dangers of malaria. KLM's medical service provides information and prophylactic drugs that prevent a number of tropical diseases. KLM employees can visit the malaria information stand at the crew centre between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Infectious disease specialists and nurses will also be at the stand to answer questions and give advice. An employee from Malaria No More! Netherlands will also be there providing information about the charity and the project in Tanzania that AirCares is supporting.

Two female tourists will be walking around the area the stand is set up in stimulating the cabin and cockpit crew to talk about tropical diseases and the Malaria No More project. The two ladies are about to leave for Tanzania. One of the women is fully prepared for her trip: she's wearing protective clothing and has mosquito repellent and a mosquito net in her baggage. The other woman couldn't be bothered. She's wearing a short skirt and intends to enjoy the Tanzanian sun and the safari without any protection whatsoever. She doesn't seem to know how easy it is to contract malaria and that malaria is deadly if not treated on time.

The measures Westerners have at their disposal to protect themselves from malaria while they are travelling are not available to local populations. Locals would have to take drugs their whole life, which is not only unhealthy but also far too expensive. But locals could protect themselves by tackling the mosquitoes' living environment and sleeping under insecticide-treated mosquito nets. Malaria No More's projects focus on teaching locals how they can prevent malaria. Malaria No More also provides the projects it supports with insecticide-treated mosquito nets and medicines.

Click here for more information on the AirCares programme and this campaign.