Much media attention has been focused recently on the outbreak of the H1N1 virus, commonly called the "Swine Flu".  While I'm certainly not discounting the seriousness of this disease or minimizing the loss of life, the truth is, according to statistics from the Center for Disease Control, 2,185 deaths worldwide have been attributed to H1N1 as of August 23, 2009.  Contrast this with the serious plight of many children living in developing countries.  According to a report from UNICEF, preventable illnesses kill 29,000 children under the age of five every day around the world.  This means that over 10 times as many children a day die from preventable illnesses than all the reported deaths from H1N1 through July 3!

    So why all this media attention on H1N1 while the tragedy of preventable illnesses decimating the children of the world goes almost unnoticed?  Is it because the world sees many of these children as disposable?  They live in developing countries like Haiti and Zimbabwe.  Their parents are, for the most part, poor, uneducated, unemployed, and far from the seat of power.  Therefore, the world ignores their plight.  Another day passes with little being done to help these children and another 29,000 children go on to meet their Maker.

    I believe as Christians, we can and must do something to help these children.  Jesus had compassion on the children.  How can we, as followers of Christ, ignore His example?  Every effort must be made to overcome these preventable illnesses.  Most importantly, they must be reached with the love of Jesus.  We must not only provide protection from preventable illnesses for these children, we must bring them to Jesus, the Great Physician.

    I am pleased that FAME is making an impact on preventable illnesses through such efforts as Community Health Evangelism and our teaching station on preventable illnesses now incorporated into our medical camps.  However, we need to do more and we need your help.

    One of the ways you can support FAME's efforts to combat preventable illnesses is by participating in Run For Their Lives.  Run, walk, or just financially support those who participate.  Run for the lives of those children who can't run for themselves.  Check out information elsewhere in this newsletter on how you can participate in Run For Their Lives and make an impact on preventable illnesses.
 
Rick Wolford
Executive Director