First Lady Laura Bush And United Nations Foundation Announce Nothing But Nets Distribution Of Mosquito Nets To Combat Malaria In Burma (Myanmar)

Main Category: Tropical Diseases
Also Included In: Aid / Disasters
Article Date: 11 Aug 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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The United Nations Foundation announced that it will provide 10,000 anti-malarial bed nets to families living in temporary camps on the border of Thailand and Burma. The First Lady of the United States, Laura Bush, joined by Executive Director of the UN Foundation's Nothing But Nets campaign, Elizabeth McKee Gore, delivered life saving nets to Dr. Cynthia Maung at the Mae Tao Clinic to give to needy families.

"The United Nations Foundation is honored to work with First Lady Laura Bush to deliver these nets so that families can protect themselves from malaria as the rainy season approaches," said Elizabeth McKee Gore, executive director of Nothing But Nets campaign. "Internally displaced people and refugees are highly vulnerable to contracting malaria, but we know that these nets will help save lives. Citizens in the United States and around the world can get involved in sending a net and saving a life at NothingButNets.net."

The UN Foundation, through its Nothing But Nets campaign, is working with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to help protect and assist refugees and other displaced populations. In July 2007, the UN Foundation's Nothing But Nets sent more than 40,000 bed nets to 15 temporary camps along the Chad-Sudan and Chad-Central African Republic border, protecting 200,000 refugees and internally displaced people from malaria infections transmitted by mosquitoes.

Bed nets are proven to be one of the most cost-effective and simple methods of preventing the spread of malaria. The Nothing But Nets campaign provides individuals with an easy, tangible way to get involved in the global fight against this deadly disease. A $10 donation is all it takes to purchase and distribute a long-lasting insecticide-treated bed net to a family.

For more information about Nothing But Nets visit http://www.NothingButNets.net.

About the United Nations Foundation

The United Nations Foundation is an advocate for the UN and a platform for connecting people, ideas, and capital to help the United Nations solve global problems. We build partnerships, grow constituencies, mobilize resources and advocate policy changes to support the UN's work for individual and global progress. The UN Foundation's work - focused on select global problems - is decreasing child mortality, improving disaster relief, protecting diverse cultures and environments, creating a clean energy future, empowering women and girls, and improving U.S.-UN relations. For more information, visit http://www.UNFoundation.org.

About Nothing But Nets

Nothing But Nets is a global, grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. Inspired by sports columnist Rick Reilly, tens of thousands of people have joined the campaign that was created by the United Nations Foundation in May 2006. Founding campaign partners include the National Basketball Association's NBA Cares, the People of The United Methodist Church, and Sports Illustrated. It only costs $10 to provide a long-lasting insecticide-treated bed net that can prevent this deadly disease. Visit http://www.NothingButNets.net to send a net and save a life.

To date, Nothing But Nets has raised more than $20 million and distributed over 700,000 nets to children and families in Africa.

Nothing But Nets