Medical Needs in Africa
The State of Affairs
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 2.9 million children under the age of 5 die in sub-Saharan Africa annually. This is equivalent to 5 children under the age of 5 dying every minute. They estimate that two thirds of these deaths can be attributed to preventable causes like pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria.
ICF has been addressing this healthcare crisis by supplying pharmaceuticals, medical supplies and medical services to children and their families in rural Africa. Thanks to your generous contributions, ICF is able to support the following programs:
Medical Clinics:
We support a large medical clinic at our mission in Liberia. This clinic provides a full range of services to thousands of patients each year who would have no other option for medical care. These services are provided at little or no cost to the patient. We are also supporting the construction and future operations of a clinic at our mission in Togo. Pastor Geoffrey indicates that this clinic will be completed by mid-year and will provide medical services to our orphanage and to the local community.
2.9 million children under the age of 5 die in sub-Saharan Africa annually.
– World Health Organization.
Pharmaceuticals:
Medicine in Africa is in extremely short supply and too expensive for most of the people who desperately need it. During 2022, ICF provided over 3.8 million doses of medicines to our clinic and numerous other rural clinics who would not have the resources to purchase these critically needed supplies. These lifesaving medicines are used to treat illnesses ranging from diarrhea to malaria to AIDS.
Mosquito Nets:
We distribute tens of thousands of treated mosquito nets to children and their families to protect them from mosquitos which transmit malaria. This is considered the best method of preventing this deadly disease. Although the little girl in this picture may not understand it, the mosquito net that she is holding could very well save her life.
Eyeglasses:
Our missions provide corrective eyeglasses to children and their families allowing them to attend school, to work, and to participate in society. So far this year, we have shipped tens of thousands of pairs of corrective eyeglasses to our missions. Imagine the impact that this will have upon the people in our missions and the local communities that are now able to see clearly thanks to this program.
Deworming:
Our missions provide deworming medicine to children. Our local missionary partners describe the problem with parasitic worms as “taking the childhood from our children”, leaving them malnourished and vulnerable to other illnesses. Pastor Peterson is well on his way to achieving his annual goal of treating more than 10,000 vulnerable children in rural villages in Uganda. The children in the picture on the right are eager to take their deworming medicine to help keep them safe from these parasites
Jigger Eradication:
Our missions provide jigger eradication to children and their families. Left untreated jiggers (or Chigoe) are debilitating and can result in skin lesions, infections, and even death.
Regular giving helps us support the wonderful work of Pastor Kasharu along with countless other programs promoting sustainable improvements in the lives of desperately poor children and their families. We call these donors Hope Ambassadors because they help ICF to provide hope to those who truly face life and death needs in Africa and India.
God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them. Hebrews 6:10
Dr. David Bruenning
Founder/Int’l Director
See children fed, educated, and empowered.
Become a Hope Ambassador
Paul states in 2 Corinthians 5:20 that “we are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us…”
It can be easy to skim past this verse, but the historical context of an “ambassador” brings a wealth of meaning. Such ambassadors or delegates, whether Jewish or Greco-Roman, came with the authority of the sender, in his place, to secure his interests. The reality is, God is making his appeal through us, and wants to secure His very own interests.