Actress Serinda Swan Helps Nothing But Nets Fight Malaria on World Refugee Day

Tomorrow, June 20, is World Refugee Day and 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, including those 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. Go to www.NothingButNets.net/MillionNetsPledge to take the pledge and help save lives.

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Contact

Rachel Henderson

Senior Communications Officer, Nothing But Nets

[email protected]

M: 570.259.2205

O: 202.739.2782

About Nothing But Nets

Nothing But Nets is a global, grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in sub-Saharan 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. Since then, Nothing But Nets has raised more than $56 million to help deliver more than nine million bednets to families in need. Campaign partners include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Basketball Association’s NBA Cares, Junior Chamber International, and Major League Soccer’s MLS WORKS. It costs $10 to purchase and deliver an insecticide-treated bednet, provide education on its proper use, and provide other malaria reduction interventions that can prevent this deadly disease. Visit www.NothingButNets.net to send a net and save a life.

About The United Nations Foundation

The United Nations Foundation builds public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and broadens support for the United Nations through advocacy and public outreach. Through innovative campaigns and initiatives, the Foundation connects people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The Foundation was created in 1998 as a U.S. public charity by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner and now is supported by global corporations, foundations, governments, and individuals. For more information, visit www.unfoundation.org.