Spreading Hope, Stopping Malaria: Snapshots from Tanzania

Watch this audio slideshow (turn up your volume!) to see some of the people we met in Tanzania. We were inspired by the nation’s progress in the fight against malaria. You will be, too.

A United Nations Foundation delegation recently visited communities across Tanzania, from the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro to the shores of Zanzibar, on an observation trip to see how faith communities and governments can work together to treat malaria and stop its spread. In Tanzania, the Lutheran Malaria Initiative (LMI)–supported by the UN Foundation—is a partnership of Lutheran World Relief and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod to mobilize U.S. Lutherans in the fight against malaria. LMI helps train church leaders across Africa to teach worshippers about this deadly disease and how to stay safe; the initiative has distributed thousands of Sunday school malaria education materials to parishes. The Tanzanian government has implemented a comprehensive malaria prevention program with the help of the U.S. Agency for International Development, the President’s Malaria Initiative, and The Global Fund. Support from partners like these has helped Zanzibar’s comprehensive anti-malaria efforts, including include indoor residual spraying and widespread bed net distribution, to nearly eliminate malaria across the island region.

Photos by Stuart Ramson/Insider Images