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For Immediate Release:
April 22, 2010
UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Malaria Applauds World Bank for $200 Million Malaria Commitment
Responding to call for action for a stepped-up effort to fight the disease by the Special Envoy for Malaria, and echoed by 50 high-profile Social Media Envoys, the funding will close half of the remaining gap to provide the entire at-risk population with nets
United Nations: World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick’s commitment of US$ 200 million to provide people in sub-Saharan Africa with bed nets that will protect them from malaria is a major milestone in the effort to end deaths from the disease, according to UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Malaria, Ray Chambers.
The announcement, reaffirming the World Bank’s clear commitment to ending malaria deaths in Africa, comes just days after the Special Envoy’s call to action to address a financial shortfall for 50 million mosquito nets, which are needed to ensure that the entire at-risk population of malaria is protected.
Amplifying that call, the Social Media Envoy group, initiated by the Special Envoy and comprised of 50 luminaries from Bill Gates, to Ryan Seacrest, to Queen Rania, have been engaging their networks around malaria and addressing the financial gap. The Social Media Envoys have a combined reach of 50 million followers. Through “retweeting”, an audience of 200 million can be reached.
“Facing the extraordinary possibility of coming closer than ever before to protecting every man, woman and child in Africa from malaria, only to fall short by 50 million nets, the World Bank has saved the day by filling half of this gap”, said Ray Chambers, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Malaria. “With the World Bank’s generous commitment, and working with the Social Media Envoys, I’m confident that we will meet the Secretary-General’s deadline for providing universal access to malaria control interventions in sub-Saharan Africa by the end of this year.”
As World Malaria Day approaches on April 25, the Social Media Envoys will be building on the World Bank’s commitment by encouraging their followers to fund the remaining 25 million nets. A $10 contribution covers the cost of a buying and delivering one mosquito net. The Social Media Envoys will continue to take one social action, such as a “tweet” on Twitter or “wall post” on Facebook, in support of malaria control each month for 12 consecutive months.
Malaria kills nearly one million people every year in poor countries around the world. The disease is most severe in Africa, where one in every five children dies of malaria.
In 2008, the United Nations Secretary-General established the dual goals of providing all those at risk of malaria with malaria control interventions by December 31, 2010, with the ultimate goal of ending malaria deaths by 2015.
To date, 200 million mosquito nets have been delivered across sub-Saharan Africa, affording protection to half of the world’s population at risk of malaria. Over 100 million more are in the process of being produced and delivered.
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