inspiration
Faith-based Groups of the Front Lines of Malaria Battle
By Heather Sells
CBN News
CWNews.com–-It's a disease that's both treatable and preventable. But malaria is still expected to kill at least a million children in Africa this year alone.
For that reason President Bush declared a, "malaria awareness day" to call for new efforts to fight the disease.
Shuri, a Somali mother of three, knows how easily malaria can kill.
That's why the mosquito net she received this year from Operation Blessing means so much.
With all her money going to buy food for her children, she can't begin to think about spending up to $7 for a net.
"Something as simple as a mosquito net can be the difference between life and death," David Darg of Operation Blessing said. "It prevents horrible diseases like malaria and is really saving lives."
Many are watching Zambia, where the U.S. government, corporations and faith groups like world vision are handing out 500,000 bed nets this year. That effort, combined with insecticide sprays and treatment, could seriously curb the disease in Zambia.
But the big picture is still daunting. Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite. It infects up to 500,000 people a year.
The Bush administration has committed 1.2 billion over the next five years, hoping to reduce deaths by at least 50 percent.
But that still leaves a long way to go, and new genetically modified mosquitoes may one day provide the answer.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins say these mosquitoes can block malaria.
But is the world ready for such science?
Despite the numbers, there appears to be a rising interest in helping to fight this killer disease.
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