Malaria: Scoping New Partnerships

January 9, 2009

This report surveys the contributions of faith-inspired organizations to the global fight against malaria and suggests ways to increase their participation and effectiveness. A collaboration between the Berkley Center and the World Faiths Development Dialogue, the report highlights the importance of malaria as an issue for religious communities throughout history and explores the current state of the epidemic and attempts to control it. An important finding is that faith-inspired organizations play important, if still underdeveloped roles, both in terms of mobilizing resources and political will in the developed world and delivering prevention and treatment services in malaria-endemic countries. The report grew out of a consultation held at Georgetown and sponsored by CIFA (Center for Interfaith Action on Global Poverty) in December 2008. It is one of a series of Berkley Center issue surveys made possible through the support of the Luce/SFS Program on Religion and International Affairs.

Table of Contents
Overview
   Abbreviations and Glossary
   Introduction: Framing Issues and the Report
Part I: Ancient Scourge, Progress and Prospects
   Malaria in Ancient Religious Traditions
   The Disease: Today’s Understandings
   The Extent of Malaria in 2008
   Malaria, Poverty, and the Millennium Development Goals
Part II: The Global Fight Against Malaria: Strategy and Practice
   Emerging Consensus and Priority Issues
Part III: Faith Institutions Come In

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