Sermon Guides

Religious institutions and religious leaders who are deeply embedded in the life of even the most remote, marginalized and poor communities have been overlooked for mobilizing communities to improve health outcomes. Of all the civil institutions, faith communities and organizations have the largest reach, longest sustainability and have been supporting their communities long before any NGOs, established themselves in the community. They not only have longevity but also have proven their staying power through conflict, war, natural or manmade disasters. Religious leaders of all faiths are trusted, respected and have a tremendous influence on their followers. Bishops, Ministers, Imams and Muftis command an unmatched authority within their constituencies, with strong potential to promote constructive behavior change. More importantly, the special calling of people of faith to serve the poor, the neglected and oppressed endow them with special mandate to bring health and healing to their communities. What has been missing is keeping the religious leaders informed on the evidence based simple actions that people can take to improve MCH and malaria outcomes. Sermon Guides that link health messages with spiritual texts are a unique method for religious leaders to promote healthy habits in the community and help change behaviors.