wfn.org | ACNS From peace to health: Malaria is Mozambique bishops target

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

ACNS 4049     |     CANADA     |     14 OCTOBER 2005

>From peace to health: Malaria is Mozambique bishop's next target

Popularly known for his leading role in Mozambique's peace talks,
Anglican bishop Dinis Sengulane of the Mozambican diocese of Lebombo is
now leading a fight against Mozambique's number one killer disease,
malaria.

Malaria kills more people in Mozambique than HIV/AIDS, which is ravaging
Africa. According to the UN World Health Organization (WHO), "malaria
accounts for around 35 per cent of all deaths among children under 5,
and the high prevalence is a major contributing factor to Mozambique
having one of the highest child mortality rates in the world."

On a recent visit to Canada, Bishop Sengulane chair of the Mozambican
Role Back Malaria program, told staff at Church House that it is now
imperative, that the church get involved in the fight against malaria.
"There is a growing need to train our catechist and lay leaders in basic
health education," he said.

The Anglican Church of Canada, through the Anglican Appeal has been
supporting the training of lay leaders and catechist in the diocese,
"but what we need now is to focus more on basic health education," said
Bishop Sengulane.

Most training resources have been channelled towards HIV/AIDS and peace
related programs. However, "fighting HIV/AIDS does not mean you abandon
the fight against malaria," said Bishop Sengulane. "Malaria is a
shortcut to kill people with HIV/AIDS, yet what causes malaria has
nothing to do with health, it is preventable, it is curable and can be
eradicated."

"In Mozambique alone, malaria takes the life of one child every 30
seconds," he said. "It was in that context that I undertook to be
involved in the fight against malaria and accepted my nomination as
chair of the Mozambique's Role back malaria program."

 The Roll Back Malaria program - http://www.rbm.who.int/ - initiated by
90 organizations including WHO, the UN Children's Fund, the UN
Development Program and the World Bank, aims to halve malaria deaths in
Africa by 2010. It is seeking to bring together civil society, religious
groups, traditional leaders, banks and other groups in the fight against
malaria.

Article from: Anglican Church of Canada by Diana Mavunduse

___________________________________________________________________
ACNSlist, published by Anglican Communion News Service, London, is
distributed to more than 8,000 journalists and other readers around
the world.

For subscription INFORMATION please go to:
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/acnslist.html