We're racing to beat the coronavirus. Here's how you are helping.

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the rapidly spreading outbreak of the novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, a global pandemic.

With this declaration the WHO is acknowledging the vast scope of the disease and its spread from human to human over several continents.

Coronavirus has already been detected in several countries in Africa, including the first confirmed cases in Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Lutheran World Relief and IMA World Health currently work.

Here's how your love is reaching neighbors at risk of COVID-19 in some of the world's most vulnerable communities.

It’s impossible to stop this virus if health systems don’t have accurate and up-to-date information. It’s impossible to stop this virus if health centers don’t have the proper equipment and protocols. It’s impossible to stop this virus if individuals and families don’t know what to do to protect and treat themselves.

With your help, we are working to do all these things. Here is what our developing response looks like so far:

• Working through established partnerships with Christian Health Associations – which have tremendous reach – we are serving as the bridge between reputable sources of information, such as the World Health Organization, and health systems and workers in vulnerable countries.
• Working with those same partners, we are helping to ensure that health workers have wht they need to stay safe, so they can continue helping affected people.
• Utilizing technology that is accessible in the developing world – such as mobile devices and platforms like WhatsApp – we are making sure workers have the most up-to-date information possible.

As the situation develops, we will continue working with our partners to address the needs in the communities where we work, and we will keep you updated as we do so.