David Beckham launched a new global malaria campaign, ‘Malaria Must Die, So Millions Can Live’ to “unite and fight” malaria. The campaign’s first focus is to get leaders at the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to take action.
David Beckham has launched a campaign to end Malaria in our lifetime but he needs the voice of everyone. The more noise we make, the bigger chances he has of getting the people in power to listen.
His goal is to highlight the fact that Malaria claims 445,000 lives a year. For the time being, he is focussing his efforts on getting the heads of Commonwealth governments to take action against the disease.
“I’ve supported the malaria fight for over 15 years and it’s been exciting to see the progress made to save lives, including millions of young children. As the mosquito film shows, these insects are annoying in places likes the UK but in many parts of the world, a mosquito bite is terrifying and deadly, leading to malaria and the loss of a child’s life every two minutes. This is totally unacceptable, especially when we know how to prevent and cure it. That’s why I’m standing with the millions who live with this threat every day. I urge Commonwealth leaders to be ready to take bold action when they meet in London in April and to unite to stop this disease in its tracks.” – David Beckham
David’s decision to take further action was motivated by the reality of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) annual World Malaria Report. The report shows that the progress to save lives is slowing for the first time in many years.
The Malaria Must Die campaign aims to break new ground politically and invites the public to share and declare their support. Use the hashtag #MalariaMustDie to add your voice to the campaign.
Malaria Facts
- A child dies from malaria every two minutes
- Over 445,000 people die every year from malaria, mostly pregnant women and children under five
- Malaria is the world’s oldest disease
- Half the world’s population is still at risk from malaria
- Malaria is totally preventable and costs less than a cup of tea to treat
- Malaria can affect anyone that enters an “at-risk” area. David Attenborough, George Clooney and Michael Caine are just a few of famous faces that have suffered.
David Beckham stood trapped by a swarm of mosquitos for Malaria Must Die to bring awareness to the campaign and work towards ending the ancient disease. Watch his pledge below.
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