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Join Lutheran World Relief in the Fight against Malaria on World Malaria Day
Baltimore, April 22, 2010 — Join the fight and take action against malaria on World Malaria Day this Sunday, April 25. Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease that kills more than one million people a year, the majority of them children.
Lutheran World Relief is a partner in the Lutheran Malaria Initiative (LMI), a collaborative project among LWR, The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to engage nearly 8 million U.S. Lutherans in the fight against malaria. LMI is made possible in part through a partnership with the United Nations Foundation.
Want to join the fight? Here are several ways to get involved:
Buy Bed Nets: LMI is partnering with Nothing But Nets™ to prevent malaria in Africa. It’s as simple as making a $10 donation to purchase an insecticide-treated bed net, deliver it to someone in Africa, and educate the recipient on its use. Buy a net today, make a donation or learn more at lutheranmalaria.org/nets.
Cast a vote: Members of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans can vote for LMI in the Thrivent ChoiceSM Voting Event to help choose where to direct up to $2 million. Voting is open until May 21 at thrivent.com/thriventchoice/.
Raise your voice: Ask your members of Congress to support the fight against malaria with proper funding in the 2011 budgeting and appropriations process. Sign LWR’s petition at lwr.org/malaria.
Make a gift: Your support of LWR’s ongoing anti-malaria work helps educate communities on the signs and symptoms of malaria, provide rural communities with access to healthcare, and ensure that health workers have the training and supplies they need to properly diagnose and treat malaria. Donate now at lwr.org/malaria.
“Taking action against malaria is an expression of our faith, and World Malaria Day represents an opportunity for us to make a difference,” says LWR president and CEO John Nunes. “As Christians, we must not stand by and continue to watch malaria claim the lives of millions of people.”
In addition to these opportunities for people in the U.S. to take action, LWR is also hosting World Malaria Day events in Africa. In Ségou, Mali, LWR plans to host a boat race to raise awareness and educate people about malaria in Mali. In Tanzania, LWR is working with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania to host World Malaria Day programs as well.
“The good news is that malaria is both preventable and treatable,” says Nunes. “And each of us can do something to help our brothers and sisters in need.”
About Nothing But Nets: Nothing But Nets™ is a global, grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. Inspired by sports columnist Rick Reilly, more than 100,000 people have joined the campaign that was created by the United Nations Foundation in 2006. Founding campaign partners include the National Basketball Association’s NBA Cares, the people of The United Methodist Church, and Sports Illustrated. It costs just $10 to provide a long-lasting, insecticide-treated bed net to prevent this deadly disease. For more information, visit www.nothingbutnets.net.
About the United Nations Foundation: The United Nations Foundation, a public charity, was created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner’s historic $1 billion gift to support UN causes and activities. The UN Foundation builds and implements public/private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and works to broaden support for the UN through advocacy and public outreach. Through campaigns and partnerships, the organization connects people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The campaigns reduce child mortality, empower women and girls, create a new energy future, secure peace and human rights, and promote technology innovation to improve health outcomes. For more information, visit www.unfoundation.org
WHO IS LWR? Lutheran World Relief, an international nonprofit organization, works to end poverty and injustice by empowering some of the world's most impoverished communities to help themselves. With partners in 35 countries, LWR seeks to promote sustainable development with justice and dignity by helping communities bring about change for healthy, safe and secure lives; engage in Fair Trade; promote peace and reconciliation; and respond to emergencies. LWR is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. and has worked in international development and relief since 1945.
Lutheran World Relief is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), individuals and parish groups in international relief, development, advocacy and social responsibility.
