Below is a list of highlights about the Lutheran Malaria Initiative‘s work in Africa from the August issue of the LMI Update:
Tanzania
- Bed net usage rose from 55 to 87 percent in program areas.
- Antenatal visits rose to 100 percent in program areas.
- Through the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania, an LCMS partner church, LMI programming is in place in 60 percent of the country.
Mali
- 86 Malaria Insurance Funds established for the sole purpose of providing access to health care. Local farmers raised $110,862 to support these funds, and, to date, 722 people have received health care who could not have afforded it before.
- Net ownership of surveyed households in the project area rose from 66 to 100 percent.
- Broadcast educational messages reached 520,000 people.
Nigeria
- 120 community health care workers have been trained in recognizing the symptoms of malaria.
- 86 core team members from 10 churches and 10 schools have been trained on malaria prevention methods.
- 12,000 households are receiving monthly visits from health care workers and community volunteers.
- 10,000 children in Bible clubs have learned about malaria and how to avoid contracting the disease.
- LMI partners are working directly with Nigeria’s Ministry of Health to coordinate bed net distribution and malaria treatment.
- LMI staff participated in four zonal conventions to provide malaria education.
Kenya
- 8,520 bed nets have been distributed.
- 180 community health care workers and 260 community leaders attended training on malaria prevention methods.
- Bed net use has increased from 45 to 84 percent in the targeted project region.
Uganda
- Children under the age of 5 sleeping under a bed net in the target area rose from 46 to 69 percent.
- Pregnant mothers sleeping under a bed net in the target area rose from 43 to 64 percent.
- 90 percent of those in the target area understood the causes of malaria upon completion of the project.
Re: Uganda. I’m wondering where the target population was located, how many nets were distributed, the total amount spent, were there any other partners, etc.
We distributed more than 10,000 bed nets in Kitgum District, Northern Uganda. The nets were given to people living in internally displaced persons camps as a result of the conflict between the Ugandan gov and the Lord’s Resistance Army. In addition to bed nets, radio ads were broadcast in the region to provide education on the causes and symptoms of malaria. Lutheran World Relief’s implementing partner in the field was Lutheran World Federation.