World Malaria Day

April 25^th is World Malaria Day. "The World Malaria Day was instituted by the World Health Organization (WHO) member statin in 2007. It is an occasion to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria prevention and control."  

Since Healing Faith has been working in the remote villages surrounding Jinja, Uganda for almost a year now, one of the biggest problems we have identified is malaria.  Each time we go to the village, I see at least 2-3 new cases of malaria each visit.  This comes as no surprise though; according to the World Health Organization (WHO) a child dies from malaria every 60 seconds in Africa. By the time you have read up to this point… a child has died due to malaria.   That is a very sobering thought.  The good news is malaria is a preventable and treatable disease.

Malaria is a mosquito borne illness, a life threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through bites of infected mosquitoes.   Its main victims are children under the age of 5 years in Africa.  Malaria remains linked to poverty, the highest death rates from malaria are seen in countries with extreme poverty, people living on less than $1.25 a day. Living in Uganda, we are right in the middle of problem, 90% of all malaria deaths occur in Africa. Uganda is one of the six highest malaria burdened countries in Africa.  Over 47% of all cases of malaria in Africa occur in these six countries (Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique and Cote d’Ivoire).  These six countries account for 103 million cases of malaria.

Healing Faith has zeroed in on malaria in the villages.  Our plan is to not only identify, test and treat cases of malaria, but to educate the villagers about malaria.  We are working on a curriculum to teach the villagers the signs & symptoms of malaria, treatment and most importantly prevention.   The goal is to equip village leaders with the knowledge and skills to continue the education process and become self-sustaining in their battle against malaria.

How can you help?

The testing and treatment supplies for a single person infected with malaria cost less than $3, if identified early.  The most important tool in the prevention of malaria is an insecticide treated mosquito net. After the education process is complete Healing Faith hopes to supply the village with enough mosquito nets to properly equip every household  in the village. A durable insecticide treated net can be purchased for around 13,000 Ugandan Shillings, which equates to around $5.20. This is far out of the financial reach of most villagers that we work with; remember most are living on less than $1.25 a day.

The clock is ticking for these children, by this time another child has succumbed to malaria. Together we can make a difference. Your donations to Healing Faith have a direct impact on those in desperate need. By your efforts with Healing Faith we can “give the kids in the village a biting chance against malaria.”

To help donate to the fight against malaria you can visit.

https://www.egsnetwork.com/gift/gift.php

Pray for Kirere Joseph he tested positive for  Malaria today in the village.