New & improved NETS
Help Fight Malaria in Uganda
I've lived and worked in different countries in Africa during the past 19 years: Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Uganda, and have traveled extensively through many others. Five years ago I had the chance to do a kayaking adventure on the White Nile in Uganda. Since then, it has become one of my favorite places on the continent; the countryside is beautiful, the people are warm and honest, and it has some incredible whitewater for kayaking. Uganda is commonly known for the famous Lake Victoria (the source of the Nile), the Mountain Gorillas, and Idi Amin, responsible for the political turmoil of the 70’s. This welcoming East African country is also unfortunately home to some of the world's worst Malaria problems. I discovered this first hand while on our kayaking expedition to the Nile River in 2003 when two paddlers from the group got Malaria and I had to treat them. I saw the devastating effect the disease has on people every day.
The facts are shocking. Malaria is the biggest infectious disease killer worldwide: 500 million people get malaria annually and 3 million children die from malaria each year mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. In Uganda, malaria is the biggest killer of children under 5 and is responsible for the majority of miscarriages and maternal health problems. I’m a doctor, an athlete and enthusiast of Africa. I couldn’t stay insensitive to this issue. I became motivated to do something to improve the quality of life for Ugandans, especially since malaria is easily preventable! For example, sleeping under a treated mosquito net can reduce the incidence of malaria by up to 90%. That is enormous, and the effect of hanging an insecticide-treated mosquito net can reduce the number of infective mosquitoes in a 300 meter radius around where the net is hung. This has tremendous implications for decreasing overall rates of malaria within communities. You can eliminate malaria in villages where you can get most people to sleep under nets. Simple but very effective. On the ground in contact with the local population, I discovered that most Ugandans do not have access to health education and therefore know very little about malaria. I then started a four component program: education and prevention sessions at local schools for adults and kids, data collection, subsidized mosquito net distribution and the construction and running of a rural clinic. One fantastic thing about this program is how good it feels to bring something very concrete and life changing to the community with so little resources; not to mention the incredible gratification of seeing villagers using the mosquito nets, staying healthy and taking action for their well being.
This is how powerful we can be!
Jessie Stone MD
Passion For Kayaking Sparks Fight Against Malaria
August 2007: We have sold over 20,000 nets in Jinja, Kamuli, Kyunga districts in Uganda!!!!!
Soft Power Health makes ABC World
News Tonight Watch her here
Nile Festival 2007 & Uganda Update find out what's happening now
We've started family planning education & outreach throughout Jinja District.
Jessie makes it to the NY Times Science section.
2007 Kids Kayaking Camp may be their last! Help!
Kids camp 2007...read all about the fun
NYC kids visit Uganda...see what they did there
Nomads contributes to Soft Power Health...see the trailer
Jessie is back in Uganda, joined by dentists!...read the story
Jessie makes the
New York Times & the International Herald Tribune: The W.H.O. recommends spraying DDT inside houses!
The Kids Camp Goes to the Rogue River...more
Soft Power Health Update May, June and July 2006...read all about it
The Soft Power Health Clinic Opens January 18, 2006 ...see photos
An other Uganda tale with abc news
Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for power equal to your task.
- Phillips Brooks
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