Op-Eds
December 13, 2006
A New War in Rwanda
Rwanda has been a place of tragedy; it is now a land of hope. Through a nation-wide effort at reconciliation, it has moved from genocide to peace. Genocidal prisoners who have genuinely confessed their role in the tragedy have been successfully reintegrated into the same villages where they committed their slaughter. Leadership by churches throughout Rwanda has been central to maintaining peace.
Rwanda is ravaged by another killer not of its own making. Malaria takes a heavy toll as the leading cause of mortality and morbidity. Thirty-four percent of children under five who die, die because of malaria. From 2004 to 2005, malaria cases grew from 1.2 million to 1.5 million, numbers that hide the full problem since one-third of Rwandans utilize public health services.
Even though malaria is preventable and treatable, transmission has increased over the last ten years as a result of drug-resistance, growth in population density, and more mosquito breeding areas due to development.
Progress to wipe out malaria is possible, and a plan has been developed to combat it. Led by Rwanda's National Malaria Control Program, Rwanda has been designated by the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative for rapid coverage of vulnerable groups with effective interventions - life-saving drug treatments, preventive treatments for malaria in pregnancy, insecticide treated mosquito nets, and indoor spraying.
All of these efforts must work in partnership with the people on the ground most affected by malaria, and the church must play a central role. Rwanda has more than 9 million people, the vast majority of whom live in rural areas. For many of these villagers, the only formal institution within reach is a local church.
Churches have universal distribution throughout the country, can mobilize significant numbers of volunteers, and draw people who have credibility in their communities. Churches are also good record-keepers, a key asset when countries track mortality rates and the impact malaria control efforts are having on saving lives.
In the village of Rukara, a faith-based health center has recruited 49 community health workers who lead efforts to bring malaria under control. These workers visit homes three times a week to ensure families are accessing appropriate health care, using bed nets correctly, seeking treatment for children with malaria symptoms, and practicing basic sanitation. These workers also keep good records and provide careful analysis of progress.
Rukara is the exception, however, and African children continue to die in increasing numbers. It is time to act.
The churches of Rwanda, in partnership with Saddleback Church, are initiating a P.E.A.C.E plan to help broad-based efforts to reduce poverty, disease and malnutrition. This partnership is based entirely on the leadership of "village elders," and on their priorities, approach and control of the process.
A new non-profit effort called Malaria No More is mobilizing a global, grassroots network of millions of people to combat malaria and has agreed to come alongside the Rwandan Church to assist them in training volunteers, and closing gaps in prevention and treatment. Saddleback Church, working together with the Rwandan church leadership, is mobilizing 1,000 church leaders throughout Rwanda and 100,000 additional volunteers from faith-based communities over the next three years to educate and train 2.5 million villagers on the comprehensive approach to control malaria as part of primary health care.
The Rwandan Church leaders want to make Rwanda a test-case for demonstrating the power of faith-based institutions in controlling malaria and sustaining primary health care efforts over time. Local church, government, and business/NGO leaders are cooperating together in Rwanda and have committed to sharing the P.E.A.C.E. distribution model with other countries as they discover what works best.
Significant gaps in malaria prevention and treatment still exist that the private and public sectors from outside Rwanda can help fill to reduce child mortality. But the local priorities in local communities will matter most in this new war to save lives in Rwanda. The church must play a lead role in this next great test of a people now reconciled but still suffering needlessly from a preventable scourge.
Emmanuel Kolini is the Archbishop of Rwanda; Rick Warren is Senior Pastor of the Saddleback Church and sponsor of the P.E.A.C.E plan; and John Bridgeland is CEO of Malaria No More.