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.
- 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.
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