Bono and Ashley back malaria drive
UKPA,
September 09, 2009
Bono and Ashley Judd are among the stars who have pledged their support for a new campaign to tackle malaria.
David Beckham's football team LA Galaxy, Spanish club FC Barcelona and Microsoft tycoon Bill Gates's wife Melinda are also backing the United Against Malaria initiative, formed by charities Comic Relief, One and Malaria No More UK.
The campaign will support the United Nations' goal of universal access to mosquito nets and malaria medicine in Africa by the end of 2010.
Around 350 to 500 million illnesses and more than one million deaths worldwide are caused by the disease, which is spread by mosquitoes, every year, according to Malaria No More.
The initiative will launch in the UK on November 12, ahead of next year's 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa, in conjunction with launches in America and Africa, and will run until the end of the tournament.
Sarah Kline, executive director of Malaria No More UK, said: "Sport and particularly football is in our DNA, so for us this is a perfect campaign match."
Jamie Drummond, executive director of One, said: "African countries are already making spectacular progress in beating this easily preventable killer.
"Death rates have been halved in Ethiopia, Rwanda and Zambia in just the last few years. This is thanks to more effective management by African governments, backed by better targeted aid.
"It shows what can be done and just how unforgivable it is that in the 21st century a child should die from a mosquito bite."
Members of the public will be able to show their support by visiting www.unitedagainstmalaria.org.
(c) UKPA, 2009.
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