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On Sunday, April 25, 2010, the United Methodist Church officially launched its $75 million initiative to eliminate malaria deaths in Africa as people around the world marked the third annual World Malaria Day. "United Methodists are taking on the fight against malaria in a big way, and we're excited about the potential impact of this effort," said the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive of United Methodist Communications, in an announcement of Sunday’s launch of the Imagine No Malaria initiative. “Malaria is preventable and treatable. It's a fight we can win if we all work together," he added.
Although the incidence of malaria has been dropping over recent years, the disease still claims approximately 860,000 lives each year, mainly women and children in Africa. Each day, the disease kills more than 2,000 children under age five, making it a leading cause of death for young children in Africa and other regions. The disease, however, can be prevented and treated with inexpensive, proven interventions such as insecticide-treated mosquito nets and access to anti-malarial drugs.
Unfortunately, the less than $2 billion now committed annually is said to represent only a third of the global need. To help meet the needs, The United Methodist Church will be launching its Imagine No Malaria initiative, which will aims to raise $75 million to eliminate malaria deaths in Africa by 2015.
By Aaron J. Leichman|Christian Post Reporter.
Imagine if we could stamp out malaria . . . if all children had the opportunity to grow to adulthood . . . if we could change millions of lives for generations to come.
Imagine No Malaria is an initiative of the people of The United Methodist Church to raise $75 million to eliminate malaria deaths in Africa by 2015. In partnership with our brothers and sisters in Africa, the gifts and resources shared through Imagine No Malaria will empower an entire continent to achieve a sustainable victory over the disease. We will accomplish this goal together with a comprehensive approach to fighting malaria that includes improving prevention, education, communication and treatment.
This is a fight we must win, because……
Although malaria can be a deadly disease, illness and death can usually be prevented. The key is keeping mosquitoes away from humans and the best way to do that is with insecticide-treated mosquito netting. Imagine No Malaria distributes these inexpensive life-saving solutions and makes sure people know how to use them effectively. When communities know the facts, they can help themselves by doing things that break the mosquito life-cycle, like draining standing water where these threatening insects breed, trimming foliage and emptying containers with stagnant water.
Anyone can get malaria, but the reality is that 90 percent of deaths caused by malaria occur in Africa, where the disease kills one child every 30 seconds. In many rural villages, myths about malaria abound and it’s up to us to give communities the facts so they have accurate information about what malaria is, where it comes from and how it can be prevented. Imagine No Malaria trains local health workers and teaches them ways to reach people with the right information. Information is power and being taught to use information for prevention and healing is empowering.
Having news and information at your fingertips 24/7 is something many people take for granted. On a continent that doesn’t rely on newspapers, creating communications capacity is a critical part of health education.
By helping communities utilize existing radio stations and building new ones where they are needed, we can share life-saving information to inform communities about preventing malaria.
Malaria is entirely treatable, if you have timely access to malaria drugs and health care. But that's a big if. Most people in Africa don't get the treatment they need . . . that's where we come in. For 160 years, The United Methodist Church has been operating hospitals and clinics across the African continent. But those hospitals need rapid diagnosis kits and life-saving medicines to treat people infected with malaria, including pregnant women and very young children. Imagine No Malaria can make that happen.
In Africa, a mosquito bite can be a death sentence. Malaria is a leading killer of children in Africa. It’s the reason why one in five African children never reaches their fifth birthday. In fact, 90 percent of the one million people who die from malaria each year live in sub-Saharan Africa. But despite those grim statistics, malaria is preventable, treatable—and beatable. Malaria infects quietly. But its wake is catastrophic.
One bite from an infected mosquito can transmit a tiny parasite called Plasmodium into a person’s bloodstream. The onset of symptoms may take days or weeks, but the fever, chills, vomiting, and severe pain of full-blown malaria are debilitating. Without a complete course of the proper treatment—quickly—malaria can lead to anemia, convulsions, organ failure and death.
Our goal: $75 million. Expansive participation. Every dollar counts. Sharing a gift will make possible critical malaria fighting tools like rapid diagnostic tests, anti-malaria campaigns in schools, new research, and infrastructure improvements—vastly increasing delivery of life-saving care.
Malaria breeds poverty.
Malaria is both the cause and result of poverty. For many African families, earnings that might be spent on food are diverted to pay for treatment and travel to clinics. When lost productivity is factored in, malaria’s impact on vulnerable populations amounts to an estimated $12 billion annually.
Even where the road runs out, you’ll find us at work. Through a partnership with the United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets program, the people of The United Methodist Church have helped to distribute nets in more than 20 countries so far. Our hospital and clinic network in Africa reaches the continent’s most remote areas. We have malaria projects in 30 countries. Imagine what more we can do.
Uniting faith and works.
As United Methodists, we are strong—11 million strong. We believe the world is our parish. Every life is important to us, and every one of us is important in making this vision real. In reaching out to people to relieve suffering, we find a revitalization of our own faith and our understanding of what it means to be Christ followers.
We can make malaria history.
Malaria is a devastating disease in Africa. It consumes 40 percent of public health funds, and is responsible for 60 percent of outpatient clinic visits. The goal is to eliminate deaths from malaria by 2015. By overcoming malaria’s burden, we will also make significant progress in the fight against other diseases of poverty like tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
Definition:
Malaria is a blood-borne disease caused by a parasite. The parasite is typically transmitted to humans via the bite of an infected mosquito, though blood transfusions from an infected person can also rarely be a source.
Causes
Malaria is caused by one of the following four types of parasites:
When a female Anopheles mosquito bites someone infected with malaria, the mosquito becomes infected with the parasite. After a two-week period during which the parasite undergoes transformation and multiplication within the mosquito’s body, another bite will transfer malaria into a new person's bloodstream. Once inside the human bloodstream, parasites travel to the liver and multiply (hepatic phase). During this phase, the infected person has no symptoms. After several days, the parasites' offspring are released into the bloodstream, where they infect red blood cells. Within 48 hours, the infected red blood cells burst and the parasites infect more red blood cells. This process leads to the chills, fever, and other symptoms that are typical of malaria. Without treatment, the cycle of red blood cell destruction and fever will continue and may lead to death. Plasmodium falciparum is by far the most dangerous of the forms of malaria and, unfortunately, in most areas it is also the most common.
Malaria Cycle
Risk Factors
A risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a disease or condition. Risk factors include:
Symptoms
A person infected with malaria will experience some or all of the following symptoms:
Symptoms usually begin within 10 days to four weeks after being bitten by an infected mosquito. However, P malariae may not produce symptoms for a year or more. P falciparum infections tend to cause more severe symptoms and are associated with higher death rates.
Diagnosis
The doctor will ask about your symptoms, medical history, and travel history. The doctor will also perform a physical exam. You will have a blood test to analyze your blood for parasites.
Treatment
Malaria is treated with prescription drugs to kill the parasites. Choice of antimalarial agent depends on the type of parasite, and the severity and stage of infection. In many parts of the world, P falciparum is resistant to chloroquine, the main malaria treatment.
The following medications are used alone or in combination:
*Commonly used to treat chloroquine-resistant strains of P falciparum.
Prevention
To reduce your chance of getting malaria when in an area where malaria is prevalent:
Even if taking all precautions appropriately (including antimalaria medication) seek medical care immediately for any illness associated with high fever.
