David Beckham is supporting a global campaign to help raise awareness of the deadly impact of malaria. The father-of-four appears to be attacked by 10,000 mosquitoes in the new video, which was filmed by director Ridley Scott, and highlights how thousands of people still lose their lives to the disease each year.
The stunt is a reference to the way malaria is transmitted through the bite of the blood-sucking insects.
“These insects are annoying in places like the UK but in many parts of the world a mosquito bite is terrifying and deadly,” Beckham said in a statement.
“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.”
He added: “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
Despite successes in recent years, malaria continues to kill about 445,000 people a year, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“This is totally unacceptable,” said Beckham, a member of Malaria No More UK’s leadership council and a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN children’s agency UNICEF.
The “Malaria Must Die” campaign is particularly focused on pressuring leaders of countries in the Commonwealth, a 52-member grouping including Britain and most of its former colonies, to adopt policies aimed at eliminating the disease.
