UN Foundation’s Nothing But Nets Marks Fourth Year of Sending Nets to Save Lives

Today, Nothing But Nets — a global, grassroots campaign to end malaria in Africa — marks its four year anniversary with a renewed call to action to protect every family in the Central African Republic with bed nets. Since the United Nations Foundation launched the campaign in 2006, Nothing But Nets has worked with its partners to build a movement of hundreds of thousands of supporters who send life-saving nets to protect families in Africa — $10 at a time.

In 2010, Nothing But Nets, in coordination with the United Against Malaria partnership, travelled around the country with its first-ever Buzz Tour, a nation-wide journey to “spread the buzz” to sports fans, youth groups, faith communities and business leaders to grow the movement to end malaria deaths. New and existing supporters have helped Nothing But Nets fill urgent needs for bed nets in three African countries in 2010: the Central African Republic, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.

“We owe the success of this campaign to our dedicated partners and supporters,” said Nothing But Nets director, Adrianna Logalbo. “Over the past four years we have seen everyone from students, CEOs, Bishops, and basketball players to join the movement to end malaria. And we are just getting started.”

To date, Nothing But Nets has raised more than $33 million and distributed more than 3.5 million nets to families in twenty-five countries throughout Africa. The campaign is currently working with singer-songwriter and actress Mandy Moore, and PSI, to send a net to every family who needs one in the Central African Republic, by the end of the year. For more information, please visit www.NothingButNets.net.

BACKGROUND
Every 45 seconds, a child dies from malaria — which is easily prevented through the use of a long-lasting, insecticide-treated net. The nets create a protective barrier against mosquitoes at night, when the vast majority of malaria transmissions occur, and are the most cost-effective method of preventing the spread of the disease. One insecticide-treated net can protect a family of four, and lasts up to three years. A net costs just $10 to purchase, deliver, and to educate the recipient on its proper use.

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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, hundreds of thousands of people have joined the campaign that was created by the United Nations Foundation in 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 an insecticide-treated bed net that can prevent this deadly disease. Visit www.NothingButNets.net to send a net and save a life.

About the UN Foundation
The United Nations Foundation, a public charity was created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner’s historic $1 billion gift to support UN causes and activities. We build and implement public/private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and work to broaden support for the UN through advocacy and public outreach. Through our campaigns and partnerships, we connect people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The campaigns we conduct reduce child mortality, empower women and girls, create a new energy future, secure peace and human rights, and promote technology innovation to improve health outcomes. These solutions are helping the UN advance the eight global targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). For more information, visit www.unfoundation.org.

Press contact: Negin Janati 202.378.7858; njanati@unfoundation.org