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Douglas Alexander welcomes launch of Malaria No More UK

21 April 2009

Andy Murray, David Beckham, Gordon Brown and Denise Lewis mark the launch of Malaria No More UK. The Number 10 door was covered with a mosquito net; Crown copyright David Beckham, Andy Murray and Denise Lewis joined Prime Minister Gordon Brown at No 10 yesterday to mark the launch of Malaria No More UK - a not-for-profit organisation committed to ending suffering and death caused by malaria.

Malaria is the world’s most serious, preventable health crisis. Malaria threatens half the world’s population and those most vulnerable are pregnant women and children. In Africa, malaria kills one child every 30 seconds; it kills more children under five than any other single disease.

But malaria is preventable and treatable. One of the most effective means of stopping suffering and death from malaria is to invest in preventative measures now. Distributing mosquito nets is one of the most simple and effective ways to help prevent the spread of malaria and yields life-saving results. In recent years countries such as Rwanda, Ethiopia and Eritrea have successfully used bed nets, insecticides and medicines to cut malaria deaths by over 50%.

Secretary of State for International Development Douglas Alexander said:

Douglas Alexander"Malaria blights the lives of millions in Africa. But a simple bednet can help prevent it. I'm delighted that Malaria No More UK will join the fight against this deadly disease. Last year the UK Government committed to delivering 20m bednets worldwide by 2010 and we are almost half way there. I look forward to working with Malaria No More to rid the world from this dreadful disease."

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