General Assembly mandates new initiative to combat malaria in Africa

MALARIA:  In the time it took to say that word, ten people – most of them young children in Africa – contracted malaria and began fighting for their lives.  Malaria is a health scourge that claims the lives of over one million people each year, and traps millions more in a cycle of poverty and disease.   Lost work time due to repeated bouts of malaria means lost income for already impoverished families.  It has been estimated that malaria costs African nations $12 billion annually in lost economic growth.  Malaria costs African families the precious lives of their children, who die from malaria at the rate of 3,000 per day.

Presbyterians have long been aware of malaria’s tragic impact on African families, and have responded generously to PCUSA’s NetWorkers Malaria Prevention Program.   Now a creative new initiative to address malaria is needed, as growing drug resistance, civil unrest, population movements and other factors contribute to rising rates of illness and death from malaria. 

The 217th General Assembly of PCUSA in July, 2006 approved an overture from the Presbytery of Northern New York  - #11-27 - calling for the creation of a framework for church, civic and philanthropic organizations to work together to reduce malaria in sub-Saharan Africa.  This is a bold mandate for identifying how a large-scale, collaborative effort would work. The overture calls for the creation of a special committee comprised of U.S. Presbyterians and representatives of PCUSA African partner churches, tasked with developing a multi-organizational plan for combating malaria.   Committee members will be appointed by Rev. Joan Gray, Moderator of the 217th General Assembly.

PCUSA and our partner churches in Africa are blessed with many capable, committed persons who could put their expertise and their energy to work as members of this important committee.  But before the committee can be formed, the overture stipulates that funds must be raised to pay the projected expenses of the committee’s work.  This is estimated at $24,000 in 2007. A special Extra Commitment Opportunity Account - #053503 – has been established to accept financial support for the first stages of this new malaria initiative.  

Overture 11-27 gives PCUSA an opportunity to compound the strengths of diverse organizations to reduce the staggering toll of malaria in Africa.  This initiative provides PCUSA the potential to leverage a larger impact against malaria than our denomination is able to mount working alone.  The beneficiaries will be our brothers and sisters in Africa, who see their children die, their pregnant wives miscarry and their husbands lose essential work time because of malaria. 

For more information on how you can help PCUSA play a stronger role in reducing malaria, contact Gail Bingham in the International Health Ministries Office:

(888) 728-7228 x5573, or Email Gail Bingham. To donate to ECO 053503, click the give button below or make checks payable to PCUSA, write ECO 053503 on the memo line and send to:

(from churches)
PCUSA Church Remittance Processing
P.O. Box 643678
Pittsburgh, PA  15264-3678 

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PCUSA Individual Remittance Processing
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