We all hate them. We hate that momentary sting when one of them gets us. We hate the itchy, red bumps they cover our legs and arms with. We hate that they are so tough to catch, and that when we do smash one, that bloodsucker’s meal splatters all over our hands.
Gross, yes. A nuisance, yes. But aside from the rare chance of West Nile Virus, mosquitoes don’t pose much of a threat in the United States.
And then there’s malaria.
In other parts of the world, mosquitoes are hated because they transmit malaria to their victims at alarming rates. Varying research reports that there are between 660,000 and 1.2 million deaths caused by malaria each year.
Malaria is most prominent in the tropical regions of developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Pregnant women (who can also pass the disease on to their baby) and young children are most vulnerable to this disease. Children account for 86 percent of malaria deaths each year, most of them under five years old.
FH works in these very areas, focusing on the well-being of children.
11-year-old Médiatrice in Burundi suffered from recurring cases of malaria. Her treatments were so expensive that her grandmother had to sell her goat to pay for them. When Médiatrice went to the hospital most recently, FH covered all the expenses for that visit.
Afterwards, they educated the parents in the community about malaria prevention and treatment. Since then, Médiatrice has been much healthier, and has been able to thrive in school because she doesn’t have to stay home sick.
“FH helped me a lot, my child is doing well and I’m so happy,” Gahitira’s mother said.
April 7 is World Health Day.
This is a day to raise awareness for the multitude of health issues people of the world are facing. FH takes great care to provide medical assistance and education for children and families who need it. When you sponsor a child, you give FH the opportunity to meet health needs, like covering the medical expenses of a malaria-infected child in Burundi, providing mosquito nets to families, and educating communities on disease prevention. Consider becoming a sponsor; it could mean all the difference in a child’s health.