MAP International will soon begin providing nearly $1 million in AIDS and malaria programs for thousands of men, women and children in northern Uganda, where a 20-year civil war has forced many people from their homes and into rudimentary camps.

The MAP projects are designed to reduce the prevalence of malaria and AIDS, both of which are major causes of death among Ugandans. The diseases are also leading causes of poverty, as infected persons are unable to work or provide for their families.

MAP will work with partner organization Irish Leprosy Mission to implement the programs, which will be funded by a $900,000 grant over a three-year period from Irish Aid, the Irish government's department of assistance for developing countries.

"This grant will enable MAP to provide tremendous amounts of help to the people of Uganda - help they might not otherwise have," said Chris Palusky, relief director for MAP International. "Ugandans have been suffering for years, mired in war, poverty and disease. MAP is committed to bringing them hope. The Irish Leprosy Mission is a tremendous partner in that effort."

MAP will provide the services in five refugee camps that house 50,000 Ugandans. MAP, which operates health clinics in the camps, will provide AIDS counseling and testing as well as educational classes to teach people how to avoid contracting the disease. MAP will also provide malaria testing and treatments.

As part of MAP's malaria prevention program, MAP will distribute 12,000 mosquito nets treated with insecticide. The nets, which fit over a bed, are intended to be used at night, when mosquitoes carrying the disease are active.

MAP will also provide health training for more than 20,000 villagers in local communities. The educational classes will teach people about preventative healthcare measures, basic healthcare techniques, and warning signs for malaria and other diseases common to the area. When people begin to leave the camps, Palusky said, the education gives them something to take back to their communities.

"Through our health education program, we're able to affect more than just the immediate communities within the camps," Palusky said. "As people return home, they take that knowledge with them and share it with friends and other community members. So MAP has a tremendous impact throughout the entire area."