Welcome to Global Health Ministries' homepage! This site is intended to serve as a resource for Lutheran health care work overseas. Please feel free to explore and learn more about how YOU can make a meaningful difference throughout the world. If you have a specific question about Global Health Ministries, please e-mail us at ghmoffice@cs.com. Click here to read our Policy Statement on Donor Information.

Haiti Earthquake Relief
Global Health Ministries is offering medical supplies and equipment to teams traveling to Haiti in response to this crisis. If you know of a team, or are on a team, please call us @ 763-586-9590. Otherwise, please consider giving to Lutheran World Relief, ELCA Disaster Response, or LCMS Disaster Response in support of their relief efforts.

GHM CBPHC Team Travels to Jamkhed, India
In January, a small team, incuding the chairman of LCCN Medical Board, Dr. Martin Bimba, and a nurse representative of the LCCN Women's Fellowship, Ms. Jocelyn Bristone, will visit both Jamkhed and CMC Vellore in early January. The goal will be to gain insights that will enable the partners in Nigeria (LCCN, Sudan Mission Afrika and GHM) to build a truly effective community-based primary health care program (CBPHC) in Adamawa State. Read more about this exciting project in the January - February Newsletter.

Lunch with President Andre Golike, ELC-RAC
We are pleased to have the President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Central African Republic, Rev. Andre Golike, visit our area in February. A lunch and program is scheduled at St. Michael Lutheran Church in Roseville, MN on Wednesday, February 3 @ 12:00 noon. Come and hear President Golike give an update on current activities in CAR, arrival of first 20' container from GHM, and dedication of the new Emmanuel Health Centre in Gallo. Please RSVP by January 27th. Call the GHM Office @ 763-586-9590.

Campaign for Hospice Kits Continues
When news of the spreading HIV/AIDS pandemic began to break years ago, Global Health Ministries provided seed money to start-up one of the first in-home hospice programs in Africa. Later, mission hospital physicians and nurses were consulted to develop a hospice kit. An invitation was sent to GHM supporters around the nation to prepare and send the new kit, and the response was outstanding. Today, ELCA missionary Dr. Kristopher Hartwig leads an effort by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania to expand hospice programming to all twenty ELCT hospitals. He has requested 5000 hospice kits from GHM to support services to the growing numbers cared for by this program. Please support the campaign by sending hospice kits for our shipments, or by contributing the $5.00/kit it costs to send the kit and finance medications and training. GHM Project #79PC-S0003.

For more information about the contents of the kit and its preparation, click here.
For a detailed presentation on Dr. Hartwig's challenging and inspiring program, click here.
To view a short film about the program and those served, click here.
To review the annual report of the program, click here.

Meet the Challenge, Help Change the World
You know these are difficult economic times for many in America. You also know the healthcare needs in developing nations remain urgent. But did you know that incredibly generous donations of supplies and equipment continue to flow into the GHM warehouse?

Requests for assistance have also been received, so far enough to fill 20 containers to be sent to 8 countries. Supplies are flowing in, requests have been received, volunteers stand ready to sort and pack. We lack one thing. Shipping costs will come to $267,000. Funds promised thus far are $60,500. (Download Brochure)

In order to help the hands that heal, we must secure an additional $206,500 by October to ensure the supplies and equipment we have received can be shipped to the caregivers and hospitals who are awaiting their arrival. Please consider a gift to help us meet the challenge, help us change the world.
Rev. Lamont M. Koerner, Associate for Fund Development

Charity Navigator Award

For the seventh consecutive year, Global Health Ministries has received a 4-star rating from Charity Naviagator, America's largest independent evaluator of charities. Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that your organization excels, as compared to other charities in America, in successfully managing the finances of your organization in an efficient and effective manner.This consistency in your rating is an exceptional feat, especially given the economic challenges many charities have had to face in the last year. To learn more about Charity Navigator and GHM's profile, please click here.

Anosy Villages Integrated Actions (AVIA) Development Program
The Lutheran Church in Madagascar operates one of the largest health care systems supported by Global Health Ministries: 8 hospitals, 22 health centers and 14 clinics. GHM finances numerous project and all shipments of medical supplies and equipment to Madagascar in collaboration with SOA (Salfa Overseas Assistance), with total annual grants and allocations averaging nearly $130,000 over each of the last five years for such projects as Rural Clinic Support, SEFAM (School of Nursing), Continuing Education and Residencies, Pharmacotherapy services for the mentally ill, purchase of equipment and vehicles. Click here to learn more.

GHM Videos Online
GHM videos are now online! Helping the Hands that Heal, When you Volunteer, and We Can Give Hope.

Attention Thrivent Memmbers
The Thrivent GivingPlus Program has ended as of 2009 and a new program will start in the Spring of 2010. As information becomes available, we will keep you posted. Thank you!

If you are looking for brochures for the hands-on projects, please click on the following links: rolled bandages, midwife kits, hospice kits, baby blankets, and baby cap instructions.