Despina Namwembe, URI Regional Coordinator in Uganda, puts her children to bed at night underneath mosquito nets. Nevertheless, last year her daughter almost died from the more than 100 malaria parasites found in her system. According to Namwembe, the situation is even worse for the millions across Africa who cannot afford netting or insecticide spray.
Malaria affects over half of the world’s population, but almost all are from the poorest countries. According to the World Health Organization, a child in Africa dies from the disease every 30 seconds.
On April 25, World Malaria Day, URI Regional Director for Africa Mussie Hailu called upon URI members to take action in their communities. “As URI global family members,” he wrote in an email, “let us help mark this year by highlighting our collective voice and action to make the lives of every man, woman and child count.”
Several URI Cooperation Circles (CCs) in Africa, especially in Malawi, Mozambique, and Uganda are already addressing malaria in their communities. URI CCs in the United States are taking initiative on the issue as well. The Utah URI CC collaborated with other organizations to raise money for nets and other provisions for an orphanage in Uganda. The San Francisco Interfaith Council CC was also selected this year by the Tony Faith Blair Foundation to host two international Faith Act Fellows working on malaria eradication. And one of URI's 2010 Youth Ambassadors, Doria Charlson, made malaria the focus of her service project.
"Just as the Malaria epidemic won't discriminate when it comes to the faith of its victims, the response should and must be an interfaith response,” said SFIC Executive Director Michael Pappas. “Interfaith cooperation when responding to humanitarian needs such as Malaria relief gives us a glimpse of what is possible in tackling more politically fragile issues."
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