Anti-Malaria Effort Kicks Off In Detroit
DETROIT (WWJ) - A new effort to fight malaria kicked off Monday morning in Detroit, involving churches, faith-based organizations and individuals.
According to the World Health Organization, nearly a million people die of malaria each year and every 45 seconds a child dies in Africa.
WWJ Newsradio 950's Pat Sweeting spoke with Reverend John Nunes, President and CEO of Lutheran World Relief, who said many of these deaths could easily be prevented by a simple $10 insecticide-treated bed net.
Nunes said this net can provide protection for up to three years, but many people can't afford it.
"We've seen results in Tanzania where we've reached already 1.9 million people through our pilot projects," said Nunes.
The Lutheran Malaria Initiative, a partnership of Lutheran World Relief and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and made possible through support from the United Nations Foundation, aims to mobilize Lutherans in the United States to help end malaria deaths in Africa by 2015.
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease widespread in tropical regions.
For more information, visit lutheranmalaria.org.
