Tag Archives: malaria

Malaria in the Congo: The ever-present scourge (PHOTO BLOG)

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Jon Warren in Causes

Malaria in the Congo | World Vision blog

Here in the United States, malaria is often merely thought of as an exotic, foreign disease that was eradicated from our nation in 1951. But when asked to describe malaria in one word, a nurse at Karawa General Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had this to say: “Killer.” The hospital administrator said that 80 percent of the local population carries the disease. My assignment last week was to document the needs of children in the region, because World Vision is considering working in the Karawa area. Malaria dominated almost every situation I covered. Here is a glimpse of what it looks and feels like....

Where kids’ books meet the real story: Building a healthy village

Posted on June 30, 2011 by Katie Smith Milway, World Vision board member in Microfinance, Stories

Emily, the successful beneficiary of a World Vision microloan, with her children and niece in Zambia. ©2011 Collins Kaumba/World vision

In the afternoon of our first day with World Vision in Sinazongwe, Zambia, Emily Syabubila, a widow and mother of three, gives us a tour of her compound. It consists of a one-room house with two beds for her and her daughters; another one-room home for her son; three raised chicken coops; an outdoor cook hut; and a raised drying rack for her corn. In my last post, I shared how microloans (similar to those described in my book “One Hen“) had enabled her to restore her family to economic and food security after malaria claimed the life of her husband. She now invites us to share in rituals of harvest and shuck dried maize with her. Hard. Then she...

Where kids’ books meet the real story: From malaria to microloans

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Katie Smith Milway, World Vision board member in Microfinance, Stories

Lodiaís smiles because she is healthier now that she no longer suffers from malaria because she sleeps under a mosquito net from World Vision. ©2009 Collins Kaumba/World Vision

I had the privilege last month of traveling with World Vision to the district of Sinazongwe, Zambia, where rolling hills covered in acacia, cacti, and fruit trees look remarkably like parts of Southern California. But tucked among them are mud brick huts with thatched roofs, small vegetable gardens by muddy pools, and high racks where cobs of maize dry beyond the reach of animals. We pass a small roadside market, where women sell tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, and stalks of sugar cane beside a banana grove. The statistics of this region belie the bucolic scene. Malaria plagues a quarter of children under 5, often fatally, and affects 9 percent of the overall population, according to Rose Zambezi, World Vision’s technical adviser...

Fast facts: Malaria [infographic]

Posted on April 25, 2011 by Lindsey Talerico-Hedren in Causes

In honor of World Malaria Day, observed every year on April 25 as a day of awareness and recognition for global efforts to end malaria, we challenge you to educate yourself on the facts, raise awareness, and take action against this deadly but preventable disease. Malaria is a disease of massive proportions that disproportionately impacts children. Each year, approximately 780,000 people die from malaria, 85 percent of whom are children under 5. World Vision works in 62 countries affected by malaria, 23 of which are in Africa. Impact on children and families Malaria is the 4th leading cause of death for children globally. According to latest figures, globally 8% of under-five child deaths are attributable to malaria and in Africa...

ACT:S to end malaria

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Josh Loveless, senior editor, Relevant Magazine and Neue Magazine in Advocacy, Causes, Partnerships

In Mozambique, children sleep under bed nets to protect themselves from malaria. (Andrea Peer/WV)

Editor’s note: In lieu of World Malaria Day (Monday, April 25th), the following post was written for us by our friends at RELEVANT Magazine. Recently, the RELEVANT staff became aware of a problem. If you watch the news (who does that anymore?), or follow the news feed on Facebook or check in online with the media outlet of your choice, you know the world is in trouble. Our world’s issues have created issues that have created more issues that could lead one to believe the world, in its current state, is not right. How does one respond when the world seems to be on fire? Apathy is our worldview Some have chosen to bury their heads in the sand and...