Ruth Riley Helps Out With Nothing But Nets

The WNBA and Nothing But Nets, a global, grassroots campaign to prevent malaria, announced today that San Antonio Silver Stars center Ruth Riley will travel to Mali, Africa as part of a United Nations Foundation and Nothing But Nets delegation to observe the distribution of over two million long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets to children and their families.

Nothing But Nets campaign supporters funded 133,000 of the bed nets being distributed December 13-19, 2007 as part of the largest integrated health campaign in Mali, where malaria is a leading cause of death for children under five. By the end of the integrated health campaign, all children under five will be protected by an insecticide-treated net.

The integrated health campaign is being organized and implemented by the Malian Ministry of Health, in collaboration with Measles Initiative and other international partners. As part of this integrated health campaign, over 2.8 million children under the age of five will also receive vaccinations against polio and measles, Vitamin A supplementation and de-worming medication.

Every 30 seconds an African child dies from a malaria infection transmitted by a mosquito bite, and every day 25 million pregnant African women risk severe illness and harm to their unborn children from a malaria infection. However, insecticide-treated nets, like the ones purchased through Nothing But Nets can protect a family of four against malaria for up to four years.

Nothing But Nets, a project of the United Nations Foundation, is a global, grassroots campaign to save lives by delivering long-lasting, insecticide-treated bed nets to those most in need. A $10 donation covers the cost to purchase and distribute a bed net and educate the recipient on its proper use.

To date, the Campaign has engaged more than 60,000 individuals, raised more than $16 million and will have distributed more than to 700,000 nets by the end of 2007. With the money raised for Nothing But Nets, the UN Foundation and the campaign’s partners work with the Measles Initiative,led by the American Red Cross, UNICEF, the United Nations Foundation, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization.