The LDS Church announced Wednesday that it is donating $3
million to the fight against measles in Africa.
"We are uniquely positioned to make a difference,"
said David Burton, presiding bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. "We are always interested in projects relating to children."
The gift was announced in Washington at the premier of
"Disease of the Wind," a documentary film chronicling the plight of
those who contract measles on the African continent. The film examines the
disease through the eyes of eight Los Angeles-area youths and actress Jane
Seymour.
The church's donation will support the Measles Initiative, a
long-term commitment to prevent 1.2 million measles deaths in Africa over five
years by vaccinating 200 million children.
Leading the effort are the American Red Cross, United
Nations Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United Nations
Children Fund, World Health Organization and Pan American Health Organization.
Other key players include the International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies and countries and governments affected by measles.
The church will provide the money over three years and also
participate in the administration of the program, using LDS volunteers in
African regions where the church has a presence, Burton said. The church will
also offer its meetinghouses for use as temporary clinics to provide
vaccinations.
When the Red Cross asked the church to contribute to the
Measles Initiative, LDS officials scrutinized the program and how it operates
and decided it was "a superb fit for us," Burton said Wednesday.
"With our dollars and volunteers, we can help perhaps
as many as 3 million children," he said.