Zambia

Meet Abel

For most of us in the United States, mosquitoes are usually no more than a nuisance. But in Africa, just one bite from an infected mosquito can transmit malaria. The disease is a leading cause of death in Zambia — there are more than four million cases each year.

Ending deaths from malaria is a goal within our reach, thanks to a global movement of governments and organizations. And because Lutheran churches in Africa are central to community life, we recognize that our church has an important role to play. The ELCA Malaria Campaign partners with Lutheran churches in Africa — going right to the heart of communities, where the people are, to provide malaria education, prevention and care.

Abel is a field officer working on behalf of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia. Thanks to your gifts to the ELCA Malaria Campaign, he travels to congregations — some in the most remote areas — to teach how to recognize symptoms of malaria, get treatment and prevent the disease. While visiting, Abel will also identify and train pastors and other church leaders to form a village health team that is equipped to teach, diagnose and treat malaria in their own communities.

Thanks to this work, and the work of global partners, malaria deaths in Zambia are steadily declining. Reported malaria deaths have decreased by 66 percent over the past 10 years. Thank you for being a part of this historic effort to combat malaria and save lives!

Your gifts to ELCA Malaria Campaign will help our companion churches in Africa prevent and treat malaria. A gift of just $100 can train a village health team to do this work.

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