MEDIA ADVISORY: United Nations Foundation Issues Emergency Appeal for Funds to Provide Anti-Malaria Bed Nets to Displaced Persons, Refugees in Chad

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Nothing But Nets campaign pledges to raise funds to send nets, save lives.

(PRWEB) July 13, 2007 -- The United Nations Foundation (UN Foundation) is calling on Americans to help respond to an urgent, immediate need for long-lasting, insecticide-treated bed nets to prevent malaria transmission in temporary camps on the Chad-Sudan border. Working together in Chad, UNICEF, the UN High Commission on Refugees and the MENTOR Initiative recognized this emergency need and immediately sought assistance to help provide these nets.

What:   
The United Nations Foundation (UN Foundation) is calling on Americans to help respond to an urgent, immediate need for long-lasting, insecticide-treated bed nets to prevent malaria transmission in temporary camps on the Chad-Sudan border. Working together in Chad, UNICEF, the UN High Commission on Refugees and the MENTOR Initiative recognized this emergency need and immediately sought assistance to help provide these nets.

The UN Foundation, through its Nothing But Nets campaign—a global, grassroots effort to deliver insecticide-treated nets to prevent malaria and save lives—pledges to raise the necessary funds to meet the need and send the life-saving nets. A $10 donation at www.NothingButNets.net covers the cost of purchasing and distributing a bed net and educating recipients on its use.

Malaria is a leading killer of children in Africa; it is estimated that one out of every four children under five in the temporary camps will die from this disease if the nets are not delivered. The appeal comes at the beginning of the region’s rainy season, which stretches from June through November, when the prevalence of malaria is on the rise.
   
Nothing But Nets partner, the Chicago Bulls, will be on-hand to announce their pledge to the fundraising effort.

Who:    
Kathy Bushkin Calvin, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, UN Foundation
Elizabeth McKee, Campaign Director, Nothing But NetsLuol Deng, Chicago Bulls; National Spokesperson, Nothing But Nets; and Founder, Luol Deng Foundation
Steve Schanwald, Executive Vice President-Business Operations, Chicago Bulls

When:   
Monday, July 16, 2007
1:00 p.m. CDT

Where:    
United Center, Press Lounge
1901 W. Madison Street
Chicago, IL 60612
Parking is available in Lot H on Wood Street. Media should enter the United Center through Gate 4.

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 Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly, thousands of people have joined the campaign that was created by the United Nations Foundation. Founding campaign partners include the National Basketball Association’s NBA Cares, the people of The United Methodist Church, and Sports Illustrated. Other partners include VH1, The Mark J. Gordon Foundation, AOL Black Voices, Major League Soccer’s MLS W.O.R.K.S., the Wasserman Foundation, The Women’s National Basketball Association’s WNBA Cares, and Rotarians’ Action Group on Malaria. It costs only $10 to provide an insecticide-treated bed net that can prevent this deadly disease. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation matches individual donations dollar for dollar. Visit www.NothingButNets.net to send a net and save a life.

About the United Nations Foundation
The UN Foundation was created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner’s historic $1 billion gift to support UN causes and activities. The UN Foundation builds and implements public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems and also works to broaden support for the UN through advocacy and public outreach. The UN Foundation is a public charity. www.unfoundation.org

Press Contacts:
Amy DiElsi, UN Foundation, Communications Officer
(o) 202-419-3230

Sarah Balch
(o) 202-572-2986, (c) 917-558-6676

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