End Malaria Campaign
A Global Community Gathered by Christ:
From Stranger to Neighbor
Through our malaria work, we join the global movement to diminish deaths due to malaria in Africa by 2015.
Responding to Christ’s call to us to work for justice, peace, and healing in the world, we join with our neighbors in Africa to help them attain healthy lives and move out of poverty. With proven strategies to prevent and treat malaria, together we can make a real difference in containing this debilitating, deadly disease and in alleviating the profound suffering it causes.
Our malaria work is important because:
- Every 60 seconds, a child dies from malaria
- In 2010, about 655 people died from malaria; in 2008, there were 190-311 million estimated cases of malaria
- Malaria is most common among people in poverty, particularly women who are pregnant and children (ELCA Malaria Campaign
- Praying for our neighbors in Africa who suffer from malaria and for people working to prevent and treat the disease.
- Learning more about malaria and efforts to contain the disease. Then, sharing that information with our congregations, communities, and elected officials.
- Inviting other people to share in the work. Also, inviting or asking our elected officials to support funding for life-saving poverty-focused development programs.
- Giving of our financial resources can help prevent, treat, and contain malaria. By improving health, our neighbors in Africa can move out of poverty and work to end the $12 billion of lost productivity due to malaria each year.
- Praying for our neighbors in Africa who suffer from malaria and for people working to prevent and treat the disease.
- Learning more about malaria and efforts to contain the disease. Then, sharing that information with our congregations, communities, and elected officials.
- Inviting other people to share in the work. Also, inviting or asking our elected officials to support funding for life-saving poverty-focused development programs.
- Giving of our financial resources can help prevent, treat, and contain malaria. By improving health, our neighbors in Africa can move out of poverty and work to end the $12 billion of lost productivity due to malaria each year.
- Mosquito nets to protect families while they sleep from malaria-carrying mosquitoes Indoor residual spraying of homes with insecticides to eliminate mosquitoes.
- Anti-malarial medications, such as for women who are pregnant, children, or people who are elderly Water treatment projects to control the environments where mosquitoes breed and flourish.
- Education to raise awareness on how to prevent, recognize, and treat malaria
2012 End of Year Update
Below are some links to some interesting news articles and features that we’ve read (and listened to) in the past couple of weeks. They include sobering news about the threat and the spread of malaria, as well as hopeful news about advances being made in research. There are a few great human interest stories as well. Malaria is really emerging as a key news item lately, and I rejoice that the ELCA has been proactive in working with our companions in Africa on this global health issue.
Below are some links to some interesting news articles and features that we’ve read (and listened to) in the past couple of weeks. They include sobering news about the threat and the spread of malaria, as well as hopeful news about advances being made in research. There are a few great human interest stories as well. Malaria is really emerging as a key news item lately, and I rejoice that the ELCA has been proactive in working with our companions in Africa on this global health issue.
- Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are working on a new class of anti-malarial drugs. (Dec 27, 2012)
- UK’s “The Guardian” reports on the threat of fake malaria medications in Africa. (Dec 23, 2012)
- Research is finding that cholesterol-lowering medication may also be useful in malaria treatment. (Dec 28, 2012)
- National Public Radio ran an interesting piece this morning about a malaria researcher in Thailand., where drug resistance and counterfeit medications are key issues. (Jan 2, 2013)
- Another recent NPR piece, highlighting the work to eliminate malaria in the United States in the 1940s and 1950s. (Dec 19, 2012
- A feature story from our Centers for Disease Control about one child’s fight against malaria.
Join Others To End Malaria:
Make checks out to your congregation and then be forwarded to the synod. On the memo line, you may designate* either:
- The ELCA Malaria Campaign: Current plans for the ELCA Malaria Campaign provide for ELCA engagement with companion churches in Angola, the Central African Republic, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Sudan, Tanzania**, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. (See www.elca.org/malaria) **Cooperative work with Lutheran World Relief and other ecumenically based malaria programs.
- Lutheran Malaria Initiative (LMI): This collaboration between Lutheran World Relief and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is made possible through support from the United Nations Foundation. Portions of donations to LMI go to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. (See www.lwr.org/malaria/) *Undesignated funds will be given to the ELCA Malaria Campaign; in this case, please put only “malaria” on the memo line.
For information, additional resources, or presentations, please contact Dianne Johnson at endmalaria@lutheransnw.org or 425-226-2871.
Progress!
Together with our Lutheran companions in Africa, and like-minded organizations all across the globe, the ELCA Malaria Campaign is achieving great success.Two and a half years ago the statistic was: “Every 30 seconds, a child in Africa dies from malaria.” The newest set of statistics gets us even further along the road we’re traveling toward a malaria-free world. The new statistic is this: “Every 60 seconds, a child in Africa dies from malaria.” This statistic is good. It’s very, very good. Look at the progress from 2-1/2 years ago!
And of course, this statistic is bad. It’s very, very bad that a child dies every minute from a preventable and treatable disease. But hand in hand with our Lutheran sisters and brothers in Africa, we continue to make a difference. Click here to download this poster!
Get Involved
Dianne Johnson, Associate In Ministry, at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Renton, is our synod's "griot". Griot means "story teller". Dianne enjoys sharing with congregations about the work that is being accomplished by the ELCA Malaria Campaign. You can contact Dianne to come and visit your congregation so she can tell the story., endmalaria@lutheransnw.org.
Resources And Links
- Graph - It Works
- Malaria Facts
- Malaria Tranmission
- Malaria Toolkit
- It's Working: Tanzannia Example
- ELCA Malaria Campaign
- ELCA Malaria Blog: "Make Malaria History"
- Friends of the ELCA Malaria Campaign: "Facebook Page"
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