Actress Nia Long and San Antonio Spur’s assistant coach Ime Udoka are the new champions in the fight against malaria. The couple have joined United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign to help those affected by malaria.
Long and Udoka are asking fans and family to help protect children and refugees from the disease by donating to the campaign.
“Ime and I wanted to find an organization that spoke to us on a personal level; we both have family members who have been affected by malaria and we are dedicated to giving back to those in need. It is inconceivable that children are still dying from a disease which is completely preventable and treatable,” adds Long, who most recently appeared in feature “Keanu” and was cast in a recurring role in Netflix’s “Dear White People.” She can also be seen in season 3 of the Fox TV show “Empire.”
Every two minutes, a child dies from malaria and 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 the disease.
“We are proud to partner with the Nothing But Nets campaign to help raise awareness,” continues Long, “And a simple bed net can make all the difference for a child and family to prevent the spread of this deadly disease.”
With more than 65 million refugees and families displaced by violence around the world, malaria is a leading cause of illness and death in many Asian, South American and African countries. Last year, the campaign launched The Million Nets Pledge to protect refugee families from malaria with one million nets by 2016. This ambitious two-year goal aims to raise $10 million to protect vulnerable people fleeing violence, particularly in Central Africa.
Now in its tenth year, the Nothing But Nets campaign has supporters from students to athletes to entertainers who all help to protect families from the threat of malaria. A life-threatening blood disease caused by parasites transmitted to humans through the bite of the Anopheles mosquito.
Fans can join Udoka and Long, who is best known for her roles in the films “Boyz n the Hood,” “Friday,” ‘Soul Food,” “Love Jones” and “The Best Man,” in saving lives by visiting NothingButNets.net/NiaLong.
