Friends of Mizoram

Information and Resources about Mizoram

Mizoram is defeating Malaria village by village.

January 26th, 2009

First, just a little background on Mizoram. My work as a Christian video producer has taken me to this isolated area seven times since 1996. This state about the size of Vancouver Island is nestled between Islam Bangladesh, Buddhist Myanmar and Hindu Assam yet 90% of it’s million people are Christian. The Mizo tribe, which makes up 80% of the population, claims to be virtually 100% Christian.

Try to imagine a state in India where there are no homeless, no beggars, no starvation and have close to 100% literacy. Couple this with a divorce rate of ¼ of 1% and you begin to understand how God meant us to live.

However it is a region where malaria is epidemic. These faithful, commonsense people have come up with a straightforward solution.

Worldwide malaria kills 3000 people per day – imagine a 9/11 every day!!

Mizoram has employed a relatively inexpensive solution which can easily be duplicated anywhere in the world.

Malaria is the most common cause of death in Mizoram’s 874 villages. About 250 of these villages are considered critical, where the annual malaria death rate exceeds 1%, over the past five years 30 of these villages have set up malaria clinics and the death rate has plummeted often to zero.

Here is how it works. A young person is trained to use a microscope to diagnose malaria and is given a course in first aid. They are supplied with a microscope, a bamboo hut, malaria medication and a clinic is in operation. The one time cost is less than 1000.00. As soon as a villager gets the slightest fever they go to the clinic – a simple finger prick and within ten minutes they know if it is malaria and purchase the medication. The technician is supported through the sales of medicines.

If malaria is not rampant in the village the patient is quarantined, under a mosquito net, so others will not become infected.

Malaria is only spread from person to person via mosquitoes, which have a short life span and do not travel great distances. The Mizos are proving this dreaded disease can be defeated village by village.

I will spend March in Mizoram. I will be documenting and encouraging this program as well as the establishment of an innovative agricultural method. You can follow the blog on www.friends-of-mizoram.org. Or if you are adventuresome and want to be part of a major achievement while enjoying beautiful scenery, fantastic weather and an almost 100% Christian Community, join me. To learn more visit www.friends-of.mizoram.org

Sunday mornings find me at St. Simon’s Church, to understand why – come and see!!