Beckham stands in box with mosquitoes in call for action
The football star endures hundreds of insects to raise awareness of the plight of millions of children at risk from Malaria.
Wednesday 7 February 2018 07:33, UK
David Beckham has called for "bold action" to tackle the threat of malaria.
The former England football captain says he finds it "totally unacceptable" that a child dies of the disease every two minutes.
To highlight the dangers to youngsters, the 42-year-old stood in a glass box surrounded by mosquitoes.
Some species of the insect are carriers of the parasite which causes the tropical disease and can infect people when they bite.
Beckham's brush with the mosquitoes was filmed for a video as part of the Malaria Must Die - So Millions Can Live campaign, which is also backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The campaign wants new commitments from global health leaders - particularly those taking part in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London in April.
Beckham, who is also a founding member of the Malaria No More UK Leadership Council, said: "I've supported the malaria fight for over 15 years and it's been exciting to see the progress made to save lives, including millions of young children.
"As the mosquito film shows, these insects are annoying in places like the UK but in many parts of the world, a mosquito bite is terrifying and deadly, leading to malaria and the loss of a child's life every two minutes.
"This is totally unacceptable, especially when we know how to prevent and cure it.
"That's why I'm standing with the millions who live with this threat every day.
"I urge Commonwealth leaders to be ready to take bold action when they meet in London in April and to unite to stop this disease in its tracks."
World Health Organisation (WHO) figures show that in 2016 there were 445,000 deaths from the disease worldwide.
A recent WHO report found that progress in malaria control had "stalled", in part, because of insufficient funding.
The consequence was large gaps in the global use of insecticide-treated nets, medicines and other life-saving tools.
Dr Pedro Alonso, director of the WHO's global malaria programme, added: "We are at a crossroads in the global response to malaria. WHO's recent World Malaria Report shows that progress is stalling and, without urgent action, we risk going backwards.
"Currently, about half of malaria deaths each year are in Commonwealth countries. Leaders of these countries must take action now and make a renewed commitment to putting us on the path towards a malaria-free world."
James Whiting, executive director of Malaria No More UK, added: "Malaria is the world's oldest known disease and history's deadliest killer. Efforts to fight the disease have delivered unprecedented progress in recent years.
"But, worryingly, progress has stalled and we risk undoing decades of work, which is why we are calling on Commonwealth leaders to reinforce their support to ending malaria."