August, 2010: Preventable Death & Disease

Around the world, many people struggle with health issues that are easily preventable

For most of us, mosquito bites are nothing more than a nuisance, an annoying “souvenir” of weekend camping trips and summer BBQ get-togethers.

In other parts of the world, however, a mosquito bite can be the beginning of a long battle against malaria, a disease that kills a child somewhere in the world every 30 seconds.

Malaria is only one of the many health issues that disproportionately affect the world’s marginalized peoples. In addition to malaria, families in areas like Africa, India and Southeast Asia, also have to worry about HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and rotaviruses. While these illnesses are easily preventable or treatable, they take the lives of millions of people around the world.

At Rising Voice, we want our hearts to be moved by the things that move God’s heart. Because we know that God lovingly created mankind in His own image and knit each of us in our mother’s womb, and that each person is of incalculable worth in God’s eyes, we believe this issue is one that should concern Christians.

This is why this month Rising Voice is taking a look the diseases that commonly afflict the disadvantaged. We’ll explore what the underlining causes of these illnesses are, and what millennials can do to help bring healing and relief to those who are suffering. We hope this month’s journey will inspire intelligent conversation and learning… and prompt millennials around the nation to get involved and be part of the solution!

Did You Know?

Malaria

• Each year, half a billion people are infected by malaria-that’s only a little bit more than the entire population of the United States.
• Nearly one million people die from this mosquito-borne disease every year.
• The majority of malaria-related deaths occur in Africa, where children represent 1 out of every 5 deaths.
• Simple mosquito nets can help prevent this.

HIV/AIDS

• HIV is a virus that essentially dismantles the immune system. AIDS is the most advanced stage of the HIV infection.
• An estimated 2 million people die from HIV/AIDS worldwide every year. Relatively speaking, that means 70% of Chicago would die each year.
• ART (antiretroviral therapy) prevents the HIV virus from multiplying and progressing into AIDS; this allows the immune system to protect the body more effectively with the remaining healthy immune system cells.
• Distribution of ART increased 36% from 2007-2008, and there’s been a five-fold increase in distribution over the last five years.
• Although mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS is almost entirely avoidable, the majority of the almost 1,200 children who acquire HIV daily are infected during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding.
• Effectively distributing ART, as well as educating pregnant women, could cause a significant drop in the percentage of new infections each year.

Tuberculosis

• TB kills more young people and adults than any other infectious disease in the world.
• It causes more deaths than AIDS and Malaria combined.
• Someone in the world is infected with TB every second.
• Southeast Asia has the highest percentage of peoples infected with TB at 34%. Africa is a close 2nd at 29%.

Rotaviruses

• Rotaviruses are the leading cause of severe diarrheal disease and dehydration among infants and young children (between 6 months and 2 years of age).
• Rotaviruses spread rapidly and include symptoms such as projectile vomiting, watery diarrhea, fever, and abdominal pain.
• Vaccines are the single most impactful treatment and control measure.
• Rehydration is critical to survival; many lack access to rehydration treatment centers.
• Africa and Southeast Asia, similar to Malaria and HIV/AIDS, are the two “hotspots” for Rotavirus prevalence.

Sadly, there is a direct correlation between HIV/AIDS and other health issues such as malaria, tuberculosis and rotavirus. When any of these health problems occur in a person infected with HIV/AIDS, it accelerates the effects and progression of AIDS. This is why malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS “hotspots” are similar in Africa, India and Southeast Asia. The viral load becomes substantially higher which causes pronounced effects because of the already compromised immune system. You can see how this could be devastating to a child’s chances of survival.

Dig Deeper

Read a story about Adama and how his life was affected by his mom’s HIV and how Compassion International was able to help.

See how 2nd graders in PA raised money for a well in Africa by partnering with charity:water.

Read how Bethany Villagers respond to receiving a simple mosquito net given out by Safe Water Nexus.

Get Involved

You can purchase mosquito nets through Compassion International’s sub-campaign called Bite Back

Get your employer to match your donations at Power of Love’s sub-campaign called Project Mosquito Net

Project Mosquito Net is a grass roots non-profit project dedicated to providing insecticide treated bed nets to children and pregnant mothers in Kenya to prevent malaria infections and deaths

Charity:water
charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.

Children’s Aids Fund
The Children’s AIDS Fund works to limit suffering caused by HIV disease for children and their families in the United States and around the world by providing care, services, education and resources.

Christ’s Hope International
Working towards an AIDS free world by bringing the life-changing message of Jesus Christ to people infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS through discipling and care giving, presenting them perfect in Christ Jesus.

Family Legacy Missions International
Summer camps and child sponsorship are the heart of Family Legacy Missions as they strive to live out James 1:27 which says “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of God is this: to visit the widows and the orphans in their distress

Life Wind International
Our aim is to equip as many mission organizations, churches and non-government organizations as possible for effective wholistic ministry among the poor and unreached. The goal is to bring them together to find encouragement, shared resources and plan strategically for the greatest possible impact.

Samaritan’s Purse
Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ.

World Hope International
World Hope International is a Christian relief and development organization working with vulnerable and exploited communities to alleviate poverty, suffering and injustice.

Safe Water Nexus
Mobilize: People, supplies, projects and nationals to have the greatest impact on our focal areas of need.

Distribute: Through revolving mission teams and long-term partners on the ground.

Sustain: With leadership development, education, hygiene training, church planting, better medical access and protected environments for orphans and other vulnerable groups.

Compassion International
Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.

Power of Love
The long term solution to the HIV/AIDS crisis is an untapped resource that has always existed within the local community: women. POL empowers women (many of whom are grandmothers caring for several orphaned children) and makes them self-reliant through a three-pronged approach: (1) Train women to care for their HIV-infected children and orphans, (2) Provide women with micro-loans and business training to generate income, and (3) Provide food, medicines, and a package of life-saving healthcare services to the children in their care.

Millennial of the Month

Check out our interview with Emily Wermel, whose work with WaterforChristmas helps provide safe drinking water in African villages.