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The Anglican Malaria Project In Depth
Please click on the
links below.
What
is AMP trying to accomplish?
The
Anglican Malaria Project (AMP) is an
Anglican-initiated and Anglican-based project to provide
low-cost, highly
effective malaria intervention in Southern Africa. We intend to
use
Anglican congregations and health centers in Southern Africa for
education and training on malaria prevention and treatment and as
central distribution points for insecticide-treated bednets (ITNs)
and
anti-malaria medication.
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AMP
is a low cost distribution system
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AMP
uses techniques that reduce mortality ten fold vs. traditional
methodologies.
-
AMP
is a women's empowerment project
Who
is involved?
The
chief partners in this project are
the Every Voice Network (www.everyvoice.net), The Church of the
Province
of Southern Africa, and congregations in the Diocese of
Pennsylvania.
The project will also be aided through a significant partnership
with
experts at the Earth Institute at Columbia University and the
United
Nations Millennium Project (both directed by Prof. Jeffrey D.
Sachs).
Why
is this an innovative approach?
While
malaria is a common and devastating disease in Africa, its prevention
and treatment are common and low-cost. The Anglican Malaria Project will
distribute insecticide-treated bednets and provide education and
training on their proper use. The use of ITNs is one of the most
effective ways to fight malaria as it prevents mosquito bites and often
kills the mosquitoes.
The
average cost of an ITN that will last five years is U.S. $4.50, a
prohibitive cost for Africans living in absolute poverty but extremely
low cost for us to provide. (about our nets link) In addition to ITNs,
the Anglican Malaria Project will offer training on the early signs of
malaria and provide anti-malaria medication that can be administered in
homes. The cost for the most effective medicines is $2 or less per unit.
Prompt and effective treatment of malaria can reduce death rates by 50%.
The use of Insecticide-treated bednets (ITNs), costing only $2.50 each,
is one of the most effective ways to prevent malaria.
What
is the initial focus of the project?
The
project will begin by addressing malaria in Swaziland and Mozambique, as
it is a highly infected area in Southern Africa, and there is strong
commitment in the region for effective malaria intervention programs.
Swaziland and Mozambique are very poor areas with the majority of their
populations living in absolute poverty.
In Swaziland, the
average person lives on $1,175 per year (approximately $3 per day).
30% of the population of Swaziland face widespread malaria risk and
there are over 30,000 cases of malaria every year leading to over
1,300 deaths. These cases of malaria all occur in Swaziland’s
malaria zone that is a small geographical area along the border of
southern Mozambique.
In
Mozambique, the average person lives on $697 per year (less than $2
per day). 99% of the population of Mozambique face widespread Malaria
risk and there are over one million clinical malaria cases reported
each year in Mozambique. 90% of children are infected with malaria and
malaria is the leading cause of death in pediatric wards: 32% in 1998,
42% in 1999, 40% in 2000. It accounts for 40% of all medical
consultations.
There
are over 500 congregations in Swaziland and Mozambique covering all the
malaria infected regions. This offers the tremendous potential to reach
a large number of Africans exposed to the threat of malaria and to offer
cost-effective and efficient malaria intervention programs.
Our
first installation will be in Lomahasha,
Swaziland.
Where
will the distribution network initially be built?
We
are building an important partnership with Anglicans in the Church of
the Province of Southern Africa with the full support of the bishops in
Swaziland and Mozambique.
Through
the Church of the Province of Southern Africa, we are building a network
to serve as coordinators for the project in Swaziland and Mozambique.
Our project has the full support of the bishops in Mozambique and
Swaziland. The Rt. Rev. Dinis Senqulane, bishop of the diocese of
Lebombo in Mozambique, is an active member of the Roll Back Malaria
initiative and the Rt. Rev. Meshack Mabuza, bishop of Swaziland, nearly
died of malaria in 2002.
One
of the first tasks of this network is to gather information on the
congregations we are seeking to serve. This information will include:
the number of people in each area at high risk of malaria infection (to
assess the number of ITNs and anti-malaria medications needed), personal
stories and pictures of the people in that area, and details on the
locations of the congregations.
How
can donors learn which parishes they can help?
The “mapping” of Anglican
congregations will prove an important aspect of the project. By
providing exact locations, using Global Positioning System (GPS)
handheld devices, we will use the WHO’s HealthMapper software (a
surveillance and mapping application of infectious diseases) to
effectively target and monitor our malaria intervention efforts. Mapping
Anglican congregations will allow us to target and evaluate the malaria
intervention efforts.
This data will also provide the
information needed to develop an easy-to-use and interactive Web site
where potential donors can click on any of the locations and get
information on malaria in that region, read stories and view images of
the people living there, and read updates on how the Anglican Malaria
Project is saving and improving the lives of people in that region.
How
will people donate?
The AMP Web site will provide maps of the
African parishes, including pictures and stories of parishioners. Donors
will be able to "click through" to choose a specific parish
they would like to support.
Why
the Anglican church?
The AMP project is offering a faithful response to Engaging
God’s Mission through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),
particularly Goal 6: Combating HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases. The
MDGs were endorsed by the 74th General Convention of ECUSA, as well as
many dioceses at their diocesan conventions.
How
will nets & drugs be distributed?
We will use Anglican congregations as
centers for training on malaria prevention and treatment. Anglican
congregations in Swaziland and Mozambique will be the central training
and distribution points for ITNs and antimalaria medications.
Accompanying the training programs is the actual distribution of ITNs
and anti-malaria medication through the Anglican congregations. The network of coordinators will
routinely monitor ITN and medication use, and provide updates/reports.
What's
"community mapping," and why does it matter to AMP?
Several of our team have done work as a
consulting organization known as "Collective Intelligence." We've
used an innovative approach to show how all of the various organizations
involved in a social intervention effort can work better together. Our
"community maps" display an overview of the categories of
initiatives and efforts, offering ideas as to how each group fits on the
overall landscape. It's then possible to "drill down" by
clicking on links to find out more about each organization. These maps
help us to understand where needs are already being met, where new
initiatives need to fill in, and how existing people can all operate
more effectively in partnership.
Some examples of our community maps:
We'll be creating a "malaria
intervention community map" for Africa, creating a landscape image
showing the efforts of a range of organizations. The map will also show
where there are gaps. Right now, we strongly believe that the biggest
gap in malaria intervention is low-cost distribution and, wherever
possible, free distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets.
What are some other ways people can
help?
- Get educated. Read about
malaria, Southern Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique. Click
here for more.
- Get involved. Donate.
Offer your time for local efforts to combat malaria in Africa. Click
here for more.
- Get others involved.
Tell others about what you've learned. Encourage them to learn more.
Involve your parish. Click
here for more.
How
will the project start?
The project will begin by focusing on
five congregations in the diocese of Swaziland and the diocese of
Lebombo in Mozambique. Three of the congregations are located in the
Lomahasha township of Swaziland (along the border of southern
Mozambique). The other two congregations are located in the Namaacha
township in southern Mozambique (approximately 2 km or 1.25 miles from
Lomahasha).
This provides us with a concentrated
region to focus our initial efforts, as well as having the benefit of
local church volunteers to help coordinate our efforts. The total
population at risk for malaria in this region is 22,000 (13,000 in
Swaziland and 9,000 in Mozambique).
Phase
One (July-September 2004):
Phase One will begin in July 2004, and
includes the initial data collection (including personal stories and
images), mapping, and development of the donor Web site. Updates for
data, stories, images, mapping, and the Web site will continue through
successive phases of the project. Solicitation of funds from the
Diocese of Pennsylvania’s 0.7% fund for development, parishes
throughout the Diocese of Pennsylvania, and other individuals and
organizations will actively begin. The Web site will also be available
to receive donations from individuals and organizations.
Phase
Two (Beginning Oct. 2004):
Phase two will begin in September/October
2004. From funds raised, we will begin the actual training and
distribution of ITNs and anti-malaria medicine through the Anglican
congregations in Lomahasha and Namaacha. Additional funds raised
through the project donor Web site will enable us to complete the
malaria intervention program in Lomahasha and Namaacha. Phase two will
also include the solicitation of major donors such as the Bill and
Melinda Gates and Soros Foundations. We hope that major donations will
allow the launch of Phase Three: Providing malaria intervention
programs throughout all of the Anglican congregations in Swaziland and
Mozambique that are located in malaria zones.
How can I ask more questions?
Email co-coordinators Jay
Lawlor or Kevin Jones for
more information.
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