Nothing But Nets and NBA Cares Travel to Senegal to Provide 20,000 Life-Saving Bed Nets

Senegal Native DeSagana Diop Helps the UN Foundation's Nothing But Nets Deliver Life-Saving Bed Nets in his Home Country.

It’s incredible to be part of such an important program that delivers life-saving bed nets directly to families to protect them from malaria.

Dakar, Senegal (Vocus) August 9, 2010

More than 20 NBA athletes, coaches, and Legends including Dikembe Mutombo, DeSagana Diop, Danillo Gallinari, and Hasheem Thabeet joined the movement to end malaria today in Senegal, West Africa. The group traveled with the United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign and NBA Cares to Rufisque, a village outside of the capital, Dakar, to help distribute 20,000 long-lasting, insecticide–treated nets to families in great need. In addition, the players and coaches met with community leaders and families to discuss the impact of malaria in Rufisque, particularly during the current rainy season, and the necessity of saving lives by preventing malaria through the nightly use of life-saving bed nets.

“Growing up in Senegal, I have seen firsthand the deadly effects of malaria, especially on children,” said DeSagana Diop, Center from the Charlotte Bobcats. “It’s incredible to be part of such an important program that delivers life-saving bed nets directly to families to protect them from malaria. We need to provide a bed net to everyone who needs one. I’m proud to be a spokesperson for Nothing But Nets, to join the movement to end malaria by 2015, and to help continue the effort here in Senegal."

As a founding partner in the Nothing But Nets campaign, NBA Cares has helped Nothing But Nets build a movement to raise more than $30 million to send over 3 million bed nets to families in Africa. Teams, players, and fans from the NBA, WNBA, and NBA Development League have supported Nothing But Nets through contributions, in-arena activations, and community-based events.

“One of the best defenses we have against malaria is the bed net which costs just $10 to deliver to a family in Africa,” said Adrianna Logalbo, Director of the UN Foundation’s Nothing But Nets. “We are grateful to NBA Cares for their ongoing commitment to raise awareness about malaria among families in Africa and America and for joining us to distribute life-saving bed nets here in Senegal.”

Nothing But Nets, a global, grassroots campaign to end malaria in Africa, has helped distribute more than 3 million long-lasting, insecticide-treated bed nets in 15 countries across Africa. With the help of NBA Cares, covering Senegal with bed nets will be a key step toward the global goal of ending malaria deaths by 2015 and achieving Millennium Development Goal 4 - reducing child mortality worldwide.

To view photos from the Senegal trip and to receive the latest news and stories of our star supporters, follow Nothing But Nets on Twitter @NothingButNets, and on Facebook – www.Facebook.com/NothingButNets. For more information, please visit www.NothingButNets.net.

BACKGROUND
100% of the 12 million people in Senegal face the deadly risk of malaria, which is responsible for 25% of the deaths in the country’s hospitals. Nothing But Nets, in partnership with NBA Cares and in coordination with the Ministry of Health and U.S. Agency for International Development, plans to deliver 20,000 long-lasting, insecticide-treated bed nets to protect families in Senegal from malaria.

Every 30 seconds, a child dies in Africa from malaria - which is easily prevented through the use of an insecticide-treated bed net. The nets create a protective barrier against mosquitoes at night, when the vast majority of malaria transmissions occur, and are the most cost-effective method of preventing the spread of the disease. One bed net can protect a family of four, and lasts up to five years. A net costs just $10 to purchase, deliver, and educate the recipient on its proper use.

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 columnist Rick Reilly, hundreds of thousands of people have joined the campaign that was created by the United Nations Foundation in 2006. Founding campaign partners include the National Basketball Association’s NBA Cares, The people of The United Methodist Church, and Sports Illustrated. It only costs $10 to provide an insecticide-treated bed net that can prevent this deadly disease. Visit www.NothingButNets.net to send a net and save a life.

About NBA Cares
NBA Cares is the league's social responsibility initiative that builds on the NBA's long tradition of addressing important social issues in the United States and around the world. Through this umbrella program, the NBA, its teams and players have donated more than $115 million to charity, provided more than one million hours of hands-on service to communities around the world, and created more than 440 places where kids and families can live, learn or play. NBA Cares works with internationally recognized youth-serving programs that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes, including: KaBOOM!, Special Olympics, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, UNICEF, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis.

About the United Nations Foundation
The United Nations Foundation was created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner’s historic $1 billion gift to support UN causes and activities. We build and implement public/private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and work to broaden support for the UN through advocacy and public outreach. Through our campaigns and partnerships, we connect people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The campaigns we conduct reduce child mortality, empower women and girls, create a new energy future, secure peace and human rights, and promote technology innovation to improve health outcomes. These solutions are helping the UN advance the eight global targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). For more information, visit www.unfoundation.org.