UNDER STRICT EMBARGO UNTIL 9TH SEPTEMBER 2009
UK charities join forces to kick off United Against Malaria
New global effort announced by Comic Relief, Malaria No More UK and ONE
As the England football team prepare for the match against Croatia, anotherUK squad is forming.This new combined international effort will tackle a leading killer of children in Africa: malaria.
UK charities Comic Relief, ONE and Malaria No More UK are joining forces for the UK kick-off of ‘United Against Malaria’,a global team of football stars, celebrities, non-governmental organisations, foundations, governments and corporations.This partnership has united ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, to fight malaria, a preventable disease.
United Against Malaria will support theUnited Nations goal of universal access to mosquito nets and malaria medicine in Africa by the end of 2010. This is a crucial first step in reaching the international target of reducing malaria deaths to near zero by 2015.United Against Malaria will officially launch in the US, UK and Africamid-November and run until the end of the FIFA World Cup 2010. The UK launch on 12th November will include announcements from UK Campaign Champions, who will be figureheads for the campaign.Support for United Against Malaria is already gaining momentum with commitments announced from players including US football team captain Landon Donovan and clubs LA Galaxy and FC Barcelona. Bono, actress Ashley Judd and Melinda Gates have also pledged their support.
Sarah Kline, Executive Director of Malaria No More UK says: “Sport and particularly football is in our DNA, so for us this is a perfect campaign match. We will be working with local and global partners to harness the universal power of football to save lives and get closer to our goal of achieving global bednet coverage by the end of 2010.”
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 unforgiveable it is that in the 21st century a child should die from a mosquito bite.”
Kevin Cahill, Chief Executive of Comic Relief said: “Malaria kills almost 1 million people a year and each of these deaths is in its own way unnecessary. Comic Relief is committed to helping to roll back this terrible disease. On Red Nose Day this year we asked the British public to support the purchase of insecticide-treated nets and they rose magnificently to the occasion. Since then we’ve allocated £6.3 million to protect one million people in Africa. United together we can control malaria.”
Malaria is one of the world’s most serious and preventable health crises, it threatens half of the world’s population and kills more children under five than any other single disease.
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In the UK, malaria is an issue of increasing importance and prominence on bothpublic and political agendas. The UK isthe second largest donor country in terms of funding the fight against malaria and United Against Malaria will call on all political parties to step up their commitments to combat the disease.
The UK public will be invited to join the team to beat malaria and sign up their support at
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NOTES TO MEDIA:
About United Against Malaria
United Against Malaria is a partnership of football stars, non-governmental organisations, foundations, governments, corporations, and people like you who have joined forces, ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, to unite in the fight against malaria. By partnering with football, one of the most popular sports in the world, we aim to raise global awareness and renew worldwide commitment to ending malaria, as well as to increase the use of prevention tools and malaria treatment in Africa. Our goalis to catalyze the world to reach the 2010 target of universal access to mosquito nets and malaria medicine in Africa, a crucial first step to reaching the international target of reducing deaths to near zero by 2015, through: 1) strengthening political and public will in donor countries to increase malaria programming and funding; 2) strengthening political commitment by African leadership to prioritize malaria control; and 3) increasing consistent, appropriate utilization of prevention tools and malaria treatment in Africa.
About Malaria No More UK
Malaria No More UK launched in April 2009 and is committed to ending suffering and death caused by malaria. Working with governments, corporations and the public, Malaria No More UK combines a powerful blend of funding, advocacy, popular campaigning to achieve the following UN goals:
1) Ensure every man, women and child at risk of malaria in Africa has access to a mosquito net by the end of 2010
2) Eliminate malaria deaths completely by 2015
A £5 donation to Malaria No More UK will purchase, transport and deliver a life saving bed net to a mother and her child in Africa protecting them for up to five years. 100% funds received by Malaria No More UK are used for malaria prevention and control programmes in Africa.David Beckham, Andy Murray and Denise Lewis arefounding membersof the charity's Leadership Council and fronted the launch in April 2009.For more information and to donate visit:
About Comic Relief
Comic Relief is a charitable organization founded in the UK whose vision is “a just world free from poverty.” The money raised is allocated to a wide range of grants and social investments aimed at delivering real and long-lasting change to the poorest, most vulnerable people at home and across the world. Comic Relief also works on informing the public and young people, in particular, about global citizenship and the underlying causes of extreme poverty. Comic Relief has invested £6.3m of the money raised from this year’s Red Nose Day campaign to help protect over one million people in Africa from malaria. The money is being used to purchase and distribute more than one million long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets, educate people to spot the symptoms of malaria early and to support health services enabling people living in malaria-affected communities to be diagnosed and treated quickly and effectively.
About ONE
ONE is a campaign and advocacy organisation co-founded by Bono and backed by more than two million members worldwide dedicated to combating extreme poverty and disease, especially in Africa.
For media enquiries and interviews with charity spokespeople please contact:
Rowland Jack, United Against Malaria; / 0207 973 4469
Additional contacts:
Roz Hunt, Malaria No More UK; / 02078205536
Helen Palmer, ONE: / 02074347550
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