Serinda Swan, actress of USA’s hit summer show, Graceland, is calling for fans and global health advocates to support the millions of women and children living as refugees around the world.
Swan, who plays DEA agent Paige Arkin, supports the United Nations Foundation's Nothing But Nets campaign, protecting refugee families from malaria.
Today, there are more than 50 million refugees and families displaced by violence around the world – and 60 percent of them live in areas where malaria is transmitted. Malaria is a major threat to refugees – it is a leading cause of illness and death in many African countries where Nothing But Nets works. This year, the campaign launched The Million Nets Pledge to protect refugee families from malaria with one million bednets by 2016. This ambitious two-year goal aims to raise $10 million to protect vulnerable people fleeing violence in Central Africa.
“I traveled with Nothing But Nets to the Kakuma Refugee Camp on the border of South Sudan,” says Swan. “Malaria has devastating impacts on these families and I hope I can inspire more people to take action and save lives.”
This World Refugee Day, Nothing But Nets aims to deliver 10,000 life-saving bednets to protect vulnerable families from this preventable disease. NRS International, a family-owned company that develops and manufactures products for the humanitarian aid, public health and development sectors and its subsidiary, TANA Netting, have joined The Million Nets Pledge and will be matching contributions to Nothing But Nets through the end of June with an in-kind gift of 5,000 nets to protect refugee families from malaria.
“Refugee families and children across Africa have faced unspeakable odds,” said Nothing But Nets Director Chris Helfrich. “After all they have endured and survived, these families should not have to fear dying from a mosquito bite. We are committed to protecting them so they can rebuild, be healthy, and thrive.”
Every 60 seconds, a child dies from malaria. Nothing But Nets works closely with its UN partners across sub-Saharan Africa to ensure vulnerable populations including children, refugees, and families displaced by conflict are protected from this deadly disease.
The Nothing But Nets campaign boasts hundreds of thousands of supporters – from students to athletes to entertainers – who all help to protect families on another continent from the threat of malaria. Anyone can join The Million Nets Pledge and help to send one million nets to protect refugee families from malaria. Click here to take the pledge and help save lives.
