Preventing Malaria Deaths
Malaria persists as a major health issue for nearly half the world’s population living in the poorest parts of the world.
- Every 30 seconds, a child in Africa dies from malaria.
- Each year, malaria infects 300-500 million people, killing between 1-3 million.
- Malaria costs the African continent $12 billion a year in economic loss.
We work to prevent malaria deaths in Africa through several key initiatives, including:
SEND A NET. SAVE A LIFE.
By 2006, it became clear that Long-Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets (LLINs) were the most cost–effective way to prevent malaria. At this time, the Measles Initiative was distributing millions of nets per year and had the capacity to deliver more. As a result, we started raising funds from the U.S. public for LLINs. In May 2006, Rick Reilly, a former columnist for Sports Illustrated, became interested in malaria and helped us kick off what has become the successful Nothing But Nets campaign. The campaign has become a model for mass constituency building by:
- Partnering with the National Basketball Association, Major League Soccer, The United Methodist Church, VH-1, The Union For Reformed Judaism, Junior Chamber International and others to raise awareness about malaria;
- Engaging 60,000 individuals in the campaign’s efforts;
- Raising $20 million; and
- Successfully distributing more than 700,000 nets across Africa, including in Mali, Nigeria, Angola and Chad.
In August 2008, Nothing But Nets Director Elizabeth McKee Gore and First Lady Laura Bush distributed 200 bed nets to refugees from camps on the Burmese-Thai border. The UN Foundation and Nothing But Nets have committed 10,000 nets to refugees in Burma—as this population is one of the most vulnerable to contracting malaria. Nothing But Nets and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) will be working closely together through 2008 to distribute nets to the people who need it most. Learn more about Nothing But Nets’ trip to Burma.
In addition to this initial commitment to protect refugees in Burma, Nothing But Nets, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), have launched a fundraising appeal for 275,000 nets to cover temporary refugee camps across Africa. Nothing But Nets is responding to an urgent and immediate need by partnering with UNHCR to send bed nets to more than 630,000 refugees living in 27 camps in Uganda, Eastern Sudan, Kenya, and Tanzania. Nothing But Nets has recently committed an initial $2 million to UNHCR to kick-off the partnership and save the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable people. Learn more about how you too can help cover a refugee!
On November 14, 2008, Nothing But Nets celebrated its two-year anniversary, marking the milestone of over $20 million raised to distribute 2 million life-saving bed nets in just two year’s time.
Also in November 2008, Nothing But Nets joined founding partner the people of The United Methodist Church to support the delivery of more than one million long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets to children and families throughout Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa. For more information on the net distribution in Côte d'Ivoire, visit www.umc.org/nets.
The campaign was a 2007 beneficiary of American Idol’s Idol Gives Back and has been featured in O Magazine, The New York Times, Marie Claire and numerous state and local newspapers as a result of an eight-city tour of the United States, which included stops in Miami, Chicago, Dallas, Denver and Seattle.
UN FOUNDATION MALARIA PARTNERSHIP
On April 1, 2008, UN Foundation Chairman Ted Turner joined leaders of the United Methodist Church and Lutheran World Relief to announce a new faith-based initiative aimed at eliminating malaria deaths within a generation. With the leadership of the Lutherans and the Methodists, this partnership has set an amibitious goal of raising $200 million and engaging more than 20 million people in the fight against malaria.
ROLL BACK MALARIA
We are a partner in the Roll Back Malaria initiative (RBM). RBM was launched in 1998 by the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the United Nations Development Programme and the World Bank to help coordinate a global approach to fighting malaria. In support of RBM’s vision to drastically reduce malaria deaths as outlined in the Millennium Development Goals, we worked with RBM to further its global advocacy goals.
STORIES OF IMPACT
Youth Get in the Game to Send Bed Nets
Area of Involvement: Children’s Health
Think a five year old can't make a difference in the world? See how Spencer is saving lives by saving pennies.
Video: Creator of the Measles Vaccine Describes Impact
Area of Involvement: Children’s Health
Dr. Samuel Katz and his team developed the measles vaccine now used globally. He recounts his experiences battling a disease that affected millions worldwide.
RESOURCES
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Measles Initiative Fact Sheet
Issue Area: Children’s Health
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Children's Health Fact Sheet
Issue Area: Children’s Health
