New campaign film and call for global leaders to end deadly malaria

Apr 9 2018

Eight celebrities, one annoying buzz and a call on global leaders for bold political action to end the world’s oldest and deadliest disease. A new60” campaign film for Malaria Must Die, So Millions Can Live features James Corden, Andy Murray, Helen Mirren, Brenda Blethyn, Afro-beats star Yemi Alade, John Bishop and boxer David Hayeswatting away a persistent mosquito. But the video ends with the powerful message that whilst mosquitos may be irritating for many of us, a mosquito bite takes the life of a child every two minutes.

The new video – Mozzie Bites - is part of a continued campaign call for leaders to “unite and fight”malaria ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) being hosted in London, April 2018. People living in Commonwealth countries are disproportionately affected by the disease and leaders are being urged to make new life-saving commitments to beat it.

Andy Murray, who’s been involved in the malaria fight for almost a decade, said:

There’s been impressive progress in the fight to beat malaria - commitment and persistence deliver results. But, a child still dies every two minutes from this preventable disease and as a Dad, this really hits home.

Andy, who is a member of Malaria No More UK’s Leadership Council, continues:

I’m asking Commonwealth leaders to seize the extraordinary opportunity to smash malaria when they meet in London in April.

Huge progress has been made in the fight against malaria with over 7 million lives saved since 2000 and deaths from the disease dramatically cut by over 60%. But half the world’s population are still at risk and malaria tragically claims 445,000 lives a year - over half of these deaths in Commonwealth countries.

Actress Brenda Blethyn said:

For most of us, mozzie bites are an annoying part of a trip abroad. But for millions around the world, a single mozzie bite can lead to death. The sad fact is, malaria is still rife across Africa and one of the world’s biggest, preventable killers of young children. I’ve seen the tragedy for myself in Uganda.

The Golden Globe winning actress who played Martha in Richard Curtis’ TV film Mary and Martha, the story of two mothers united in grief through malaria, stressed:

This vital campaign is calling on Commonwealth leaders whose citizens represent six out of ten malaria cases globally – to step up and make bold, new commitments to ending malaria for good.

James Whiting, Executive Director of Malaria No More UK (the NGO convening the campaign on behalf of the global malaria community) said:

Despite best efforts to end malaria and huge progress in recent years we are at a risk of losing hard won gains due to plateauing funding, growing resistance and declining political will. But there’s a chance in three weeks for leaders to use a rejuvenated Commonwealth to put the world on a faster path towards a malaria-free world.

The Malaria Must Die campaign is building public pressure ahead of the Malaria Summit London 2018 on 18^th April which will see Heads of State, philanthropists and the private sector make a series of pledges to accelerate progress and call on leaders meeting the next day at the formal CHOGM to be ready to beat this disease.