ELCA Malaria Campaign for Cardia Deo

Make malaria history

Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked [Jesus] about her. Then he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. 

- Luke 4:38-39

Rebuke the Fever!

The Facts of Malaria

• A child in Africa dies every 45 seconds

• 3.3 billion people are at risk

• 250 million cases a year• Nearly 800,000 deaths

each year

The Facts of MalariaChildren are more vulnerable, because adults in high incident areas can develop a partial immunity to malaria over time.

Those with other health conditions are also more vulnerable to malaria.

All four types of malaria can lie dormant in the body for long periods of time. Relapses may occur months or even years later.

There is no vaccine for malaria, although several are in development and clinical trial. Parasitic infections are notoriously difficult to vaccinate against.

The History of MalariaFew civilizations, in all of history, have escaped the disease. Some Egyptian mummies have signs of malaria. Hippocrates documented the distinct stages of the illness; Alexander the Great likely died of it, leading to the unraveling of the Greek Empire. Malaria may have stopped the armies of both Attila the Hun and Genghis Khan.

The disease's name comes from the Italian mal'aria, meaning "bad air"; in Rome, where malaria raged for centuries, it was commonly believed that swamp fumes produced the illness. At least four popes died of it.

George Washington suffered from malaria, as did Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant. In the late 1800s, malaria was so bad in Washington, D.C., that one prominent physician lobbied—unsuccessfully—to erect a gigantic wire screen around the city. A million Union Army casualties in the U.S. Civil War are attributed to malaria, and in the Pacific theater of World War II casualties from the disease exceeded those from combat.

Some scientists believe that one out of every two people who have ever lived have died of malaria.

Source: National Geographic – May 2007

Malaria in the United StatesThe U.S. had recorded millions of malaria cases during the 1930s, mostly in southern states. Then an intensive anti-malaria program was launched. In 1946 the Centers for Disease Control was founded in Atlanta specifically to combat malaria.

America's affluence was a major asset. Almost everyone could get to a doctor; windows could be screened; resources were available to bulldoze mosquito-breeding swamps. There's also the lucky fact that the country's two most common species of Anopheles mosquitoes prefer feeding on cattle rather than humans. By 1950, transmission of malaria was halted in the U.S.

Now most Americans who contract malaria are people who have traveled to malaria-prone countries. Many of our missionaries who work in Africa are at risk of contracting malaria.

Source: National Geographic – May 2007

The Faces of Malaria

Vulnerable populations:• Children under 5 and

pregnant women • People living in poverty• People living with HIV and

AIDS• 90 percent of malaria deaths

are in Africa

The Faces of Malaria

The Costs of Malaria

Malaria is expensive:• Treatment• Prevention • Lost productivity:

$12 billion a year• Loss of life and hope

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The Transmission of Malaria

• Plasmodium parasite

• Hosts: mosquitoes, humans

• Spread by a bite from an infected mosquito

• Affects human liver and red blood cells

Life Cycle of Plasmodium Parasite In Its Two Hosts

There are four types of

Plasmodium parasites:

* P. falciparum (the most

dangerous)* P. vivax* P. ovale

* P. malariae

P. falciparum can affect the brain. Those that survive cerebral malaria may have long-terms residual effects including cerebral palsy, blindness, deafness, language problems and impaired cognition.

The Symptoms of Malaria

Early symptoms• High fever• Chills• Nausea and vomiting• Headaches• Body aches• Fatigue

If left untreated• Seizures• Respiratory Distress• Anemia• Organ Failure• Coma• Death

ELCA Malaria Campaign

Why us? Why now?• Following Christ’s call• Joining our companions

in Africa• A moment in history:

Millennium Development Goals

What is the mission of the ELCA Malaria Campaign?The ELCA Malaria Campaign enables our church to join with African companion churches in the global effort to prevent, treat, and contain malaria by 2015.

What is the fund-raising goal of the ELCA Malaria Campaign?The ELCA Malaria Campaign’s goal is to raise $15 million by 2015.

What are the education and awareness-raising goals of the campaign?The ELCA Malaria Campaign aims to educate every ELCA member about the disease of malaria and its continuing impact on people living in poverty in Africa, especially children under five and pregnant women. The ELCA Malaria Campaign believes that once Lutherans are informed about the problem they will want to respond to make a difference.

Which countries does the ELCA Malaria Campaign support? Funds raised will benefit our Lutheran companion churches and companion organizations in eleven African countries: Angola, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

What kinds of programming does the ELCA Malaria Campaign support?The ELCA Malaria Campaign will work with partner churches and organizations in Africa on treatment, prevention and education.

Preventable. Treatable. Now.

Malaria education• Village health teams• Community education• Education in the church

Capacity-building• Strengthen organizational

structures• Equip to participate in

international funding efforts

One of the simplest and most effective tools in the fight against malaria is an insecticide-treated

Bed Net

Studies show that the use of treated bed nets

can reduce malaria transmission by as

much as 90% in areas with high coverage.

One bed net can cover an entire family

and can last about four years with proper

care.

One Bed Net

$10

Using available tools (bed nets, indoor spraying, preventive treatment for pregnant women and ACT treatment), 25 countries globally have reduced malaria deaths by more than 50%, including four in Africa.

After years of stagnant and increasing child deaths, recent data show a 28% drop in the under-5 mortality rate over the previous 7 years. WHO and UNICEF attribute much of this progress to the significant scale up of malaria control interventions.

Approximately 125,000 children under 5 in 10 African countries have been saved due to malaria interventions between 2001 and 2007.

Following Zambia's expansive malaria control program, malaria incidence dropped 50% and all-cause child mortality decreased by 35%.

In Rwanda, child malaria cases declined by 64% and child deaths from malaria dropped by 66%.

Source: The Malaria Policy Center, a project of Malaria No More

Progress Is Happening!

But There Is Still Much To Do!Get Involved!

Pray• Pray for people with

malaria• Pray for the ministry of

our companions• Resources:

www.elca.org/malaria

Get Involved!

Learn and teachEducate yourself and others

• www.elca.org/hunger/toolkits

• www.elca.org/malaria

Get Involved! Raise money• Synodical campaigns• Congregational

campaigns• Ask your community• Be creative!

Get Involved!

Free Resources to order and to download at www.elca.org/malaria

Get Involved!

Ideas*Involve your Vacation Bible School or Sunday School kids*Involve the Women of the ELCA in your congregation*Partner with other churches also doing malaria work*April 25, 2012 is World Malaria Day...maybe you can write an article for your school paper or church newsletter!*Write a skit*How about having “Malaria May” to raise awareness?*Read the Malaria Blog at elca.org/blogs and see what other churches are doing*Organize a “Sleep Under”*Participate in a Miles Against Malaria Walk*Talk with your pastor and other adults and work together!

Get Involved!

Give generously• What will be my own gift

to the ELCA Malaria Campaign?

What your gift can do

• $10 = net

• $50 = medicine for 25 patients

• $100 = train a village health team

• $250 = protect 125 expectant mothers

Questions?

Email: [email protected]: www.elca.org/malaria

Northeastern Minnesota Synod Contact:Brenda Wagner218-246-3179

[email protected]

Make malaria history!