Malaria No More - United Kingdom

David Beckham, Andy Murray and Denise Lewis back new charity Malaria No More UK

Posted on Monday 20 April 2009

Today, Monday 20 April 2009, three of the UK’s sporting heroes; David Beckham, Andy Murray and Denise Lewis, will visit No. 10 Downing Street to mark the launch of Malaria No More UK – a not-for-profit organisation committed to ending suffering and death caused by malaria.

Malaria is the world’s most serious, preventable health crisis. Malaria threatens half the world’s population and those most vulnerable are pregnant women and children. In Africa, malaria kills one child every 30 seconds; it kills more children under five than any other single disease.

But malaria is preventable and treatable. One of the most effective means of stopping suffering and death from malaria is to invest in preventative measures now. Blanketing Africa with mosquito nets is one of the most simple and effective ways to help prevent the spread of malaria and yields life-saving results. In recent years countries such as Rwanda, Ethiopia and Eritrea have successfully used bed nets, insecticides and medicines to cut malaria deaths by over 50%.

Beckham, Murray and Lewis have been named as members of the Malaria No More UK Leadership Council. These three sporting heroes will campaign to raise awareness about malaria. They start with the simple message that for just £5 a bed net can be bought, transported and delivered to an African family protecting a mother and child or brother and sister against malaria for up to five years.

As part of the launch, Malaria No More UK will be visiting No.10 Downing Street. Last year the Prime Minister pledged the UK would deliver 20 million bed nets to Africa by 2010. Today the prime minister has confirmed the UK has already delivered almost half this total (9.7 million nets) and a further 1.9 million nets are on order. The charity wants to ensure the UK delivers the remainder of this pledge and encourages the EU and G8 governments to deliver their bed net promises totaling 100 million bed nets by 2010; and that global leaders deliver $3 billion committed to tackling malaria in September 2008 at the UN high level event on the Millennium Development Goals.

“It’s truly incredible to think we can stop this killer disease forever and it’s such a simple thing to do” says David Beckham, “for less than the cost of a football you can protect a family from dying. I urge the UK public to get behind the Malaria No More UK campaign to save a life and make malaria no more.”

Andy Murray says, “This is the first global charity I’ve been involved with in this capacity and it was an easy decision. Malaria is completely preventable and stoppable but yet it still kills more children in Africa than any other single disease. We can radically change this, it is a huge opportunity and I’m urging the UK public to help save a life and get behind Malaria No More UK, a truly world-changing and life-saving initiative.”

Denise Lewis, says, “As a mother of three, finding out that pregnant women are four times more likely to contract malaria than other adults, well that really hits home. Here in the UK, malaria is not something an expecting mother needs to worry about. It shouldn’t be in Africa either, especially since malaria is a preventable disease. It’s so easy for us to make a massive difference. Buying a £5 bed net will protect a mother and her child for up to five years. The time has come for us to work together to make malaria no more”.

Malaria No More UK Executive Director Sarah Kline says: “Malaria No More UK is launching a mass campaign to help stop the suffering and death caused by malaria. Our first mission is to help reach the UN target of getting everyone at risk in Africa under a bed net by the end of 2010. We are delighted the Prime Minister has announced today that the UK is has already delivered 9.3 million nets of the 20 million pledged and look forward to seeing the rest delivered on time. We are calling on him to press other EU and G8 governments to deliver their share of the 100 million bed nets they promised last year.

“I have seen mothers nursing their children, gravely sick with malaria. But I have also visited communities protecting themselves from malaria using bed nets and shared their joy, as they talk of no longer losing children to this terrible disease. We are part of an international effort to make malaria no more and we kick-start that in the UK today”.

www.malarianomore.org.uk