Did you know?


• Malaria has infected humans for more than 4,000 years on every continent except Antarctica.


• Egyptian pharaohs were sleeping under mosquito nets by 2500 B.C.


• Shakespeare mentions malaria in eight plays.


• The mosquito-malaria connection was confirmed by a doctor, Walter Reed, in 1901.


• 500,000 U.S. soldiers were infected by malaria during World War II; 60,000 of them died.


• The Communicable Disease Center (now called the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) was founded in 1946 to combat malaria in the U.S.


• Since the year 2000, global efforts to fight malaria have slashed its death rate in sub-Saharan Africa in half.


• 2013 saw 198 million cases of malaria in 97 countries and territories—82 percent of them in sub-Saharan Africa. Of 584,000 deaths, 453,000 were children under 5.


Children at All Saints Lutheran Church, Palatine, Ill., used the ELCA Malaria Campaign’s “Catch the Buzz” vacation Bible school curriculum.


stands by our companions and we are working with them to adapt their programs to the present situation, to effectively address malaria in the current context.” In each country, the campaign/program seeks


to build the capacity to prevent, diagnose and treat malaria. Zimbabwe offers a good example. To prevent new cases, Lutheran malaria program vol-


‘Previous programs funded by ELCA World Hunger already existed and could be built upon.’


unteers in Zimbabwe work with the government’s Envi- ronmental Management Agency to eliminate standing water and tall grasses where mosquitoes can lay their eggs. ELCA dollars help purchase slashing tools and rakes. Equipping, training and pro-


viding transportation for village health educators is a core focus. Zimbabwean educators use work- shops, song, dance and drama


to show how to prevent malaria, recognize its signs and symptoms, and encourage people to accept indoor spraying. In one drama, parents squabble about what to do for


their son, who lies shivering on the floor. Dad says to call the traditional healer—but aſter his visit, the son does not improve. Mom insists they take the son to the clinic, where treatment is successful. Te message: when someone shows symptoms of malaria, see the doctor fast—within 24 hours. Educators also focus on better sanitation and hygiene,


showing how to improve or relocate pit latrines and build drying racks for dishes to eliminate standing water.


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Sources: Wikipedia, World Health Organization, 2014 World Malaria Report


Lutherans have helped the Global Malaria Action


Plan meet specific targets, in ways that include increas- ing the number of people, especially children under 5, who sleep under nets every night. Since 2012 about 427 million long-lasting insecti-


cidal nets have been delivered to African countries. Lutherans have helped purchase and distribute about 22,056 nets as of 2013 (the latest year for which figures are available). But handing out nets isn’t enough. In Zimbabwe and


elsewhere, teams visit homes to make sure nets are hung and used effectively. In all regions, Lutheran malaria programs expand the


infrastructure for diagnosing and treating malaria. Tey help purchase rapid diagnostic tests that clinics use to quickly confirm a diagnosis. Tey ensure an adequate supply of safe, reliable medications—not the less effec- tive or counterfeit drugs sold illegally on the informal market. And as of 2013, they have helped more than 32,000 women receive medication to prevent malaria during pregnancy.


Creating sustainable livelihoods Where poverty and hunger are chronic, the impact of malaria is severe. “Malaria holds people in poverty,” Duerst said. Tey miss work, lose income and struggle to pay for medication, hospital visits and other malaria interventions. To stabilize income, more than 300 people have


participated in income-generating projects within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe. Participants


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