A Simple Thing You Can Do To Help Save Lives

Malaria is spread by mosquito bites. Bed nets prevent mosquitoes from biting and the insecticide kills them before they can bite others. That means many of the 500 million infected every year could be saved.

In addition to being deadly, malaria is a root cause of poverty in developing countries. It puts a huge burden on health systems and costs Africa $12 billion a year in lost productivity. Pregnant women who are infected are at risk of having children with severe birth defects, a further drain on often-strained financial and emotional resources. Malaria also contributes to low birth weight among newborns, one of the leading risk factors for infant mortality.

That's why thousands of people have joined the fight against malaria, including Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly, who helped fuel the campaign when he featured bed nets in his column. Six-year-old Katherine Commale, a member of the United Methodist Church in Pennsylvania, raised more than $10,000 at her church by making presentations and putting on skits to explain the importance of bed nets.

"We recognize the challenge in raising awareness about a disease that most Americans think was eradicated decades ago," said Kathy Bushkin, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the United Nations Foundation. "But the great thing about this campaign is that there is a simple solution, and people can see that their donations are going toward lifesaving bed nets."

It's easy to join the campaign and save lives from home, school or work; and thanks to a matching grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, donations will go even further-every $10 donation will now send two nets and potentially save two lives.

Visit www.NothingButNets.net for more information

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