SST takes on global health

BY JOE DAN BOYD

Tinney Chapel UMC, Winnsboro

 

Rev. Don Lee, Chair of the Sending Servants Team (SST), challenged members of the North Texas Conference to consider two important health initiatives: Global AIDS Fund and Nothing But Nets.

 

Global AIDS Fund

"The AIDS pandemic is a global emergency," said Rev. Lee, who emphasized that more than 40 million people are infected with AIDS, nearly half of them women, and that about 600,000 children are infected with AIDS each year.

 

To date, more than 23 million have died, and about 13 million children have been orphaned from AIDS related diseases.

 

Nothing But Nets

...A non-profit, ecumenical, global effort to reduce the transmission of Malaria by purchasing and distributing insecticide-treated bed nets for children under the age of five, plus education and follow-up.

 

Rev. Lee said the bed nets cost just $10 each, and last about four years, while cutting Malaria transmission as much as 90 percent in areas with high coverage rates. Malaria is a leading cause of death of children in Africa, killing nearly one million a year

 

Meanwhile, Annual Conference members responded overwhelmingly to Rev. Lee's call for passage of a resolution that asks all local NTC churches to contribute $1 per member (plus children) to combat the AIDS pandemic.

 

"The Global AIDS Fund was established at the 2004 General Conference to raise $8 million by 2008," explained Rev. Lee.

 

For more ways to get involved in this campaign, some involving other games, challenges, competitions and to watch a video or read stories of Malaria survivors, go to www.nothingbutnets.com  where The People of the UMC are prominently listed as an official program partner.

 

Among the literature that was available from this year's SST booth at Annual Conference was a list of the Top Ten causes of death in low-income countries, along with the NTC Advance number for each:

 

1. Heart disease Advance 317.

2. Pneumonia Advance 401.

3. HIV/AIDS Advance 284.

4. Pregnancy & childbirth Advance 466.

5. Stroke Advance 478.

6. Diarrheal diseases Advance 313.

7. Malaria Advance 290.

8. Tuberculosis Advance 274.

9. Bronchitis/Asthma Advance 933.

10. Road traffic accidents Advance 461.

 

"In addition to our commitment to these global health issues, SST continues its work in global and local missions, ecumenical work and peace and justice issues," concluded Rev. Lee. "We encourage our local NTC churches to partner with Rev. Wesley and Leah Magruder and their work in Cameroon, which is our Conference Mission priority for this Quadrennium.

 

"After all, mission is not just our activity, it is our identity."

 

Donations to the Initiatives may be made by sending a check payable to Treasurer, North Texas Conference, 500 Maplelawn, Plano, TX 75075, with the appropriate Advance number on the memo line.