The word of God says in Luke 10:9: “And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.” Notice what God says in the Bible. He is interested in humanity prospering in physical, mental and spiritual health. Among the diseases ravaging the world is malaria, which is common in Central Africa.

Malaria is a potentially fatal disease transmitted to humans by the bite of a mosquito called the anopheles or marsh mosquito.

According to the World Health Organization, each year, there are an estimated 249 million cases of malaria, resulting in 608,000 deaths. In 2022, 94 percent of the 233 million cases were recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa. Children under five represent 80 percent of cases. “And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.”

The heavy rainy season is the most favorable time of the year for the multiplication of mosquitoes carrying this disease. During this period, we often see two or three children undergoing treatment on a single bed. Despite efforts by the World Health Organization and the government, this disease remains a major challenge, having the highest early mortality rate in Central Africa among those aged 0 to 5 years.

This disease almost took the lives of my three boys when they were born. Just after the birth of my first son, malaria was detected in his body, requiring urgent inpatient hospital treatment for five days. Our other two boys faced the same struggle after they were born. There remains no effective treatment to eradicate this disease.

On the Susu project in Guinea, West Africa, where I worked for more than 10 years, student missionaries knowledgeable in the health field became a powerful arm to establish contact with a local population most hostile to the gospel.

As missionaries working among the Animists of Central Africa, please pray for us as we consider how health education and medical work can serve as an entering wedge, helping us connect with the local community to minister to them in this ongoing health crisis and introduce them to Jesus Christ.

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