11/4/2000

PRESS RELEASE
PHOTO AND FILM OPPORTUNITY

Record-Breaking Giant Mosquito Net – with a Message

Two hundred and twenty-five Nigerian schoolchildren will gather under a giant mosquito bednet - 225 times larger than the standard insecticide treated nets used to protect against malaria – in an attempt to set a world record.

The bednet measures a massive 20 metres by 20 metres and is three metres high. So far there is no record for the largest bednet. Usually bednets are made to cover the area above a standard double bed. An ordinary net will be positioned next to the record breaking giant.

The event, in Abuja, takes place exactly one week before African Heads of State meet there for the first ever Summit on malaria. It will also act as a reminder that 225 African children die of malaria every two and a half hours. More than 2,173 children under the age of five die of malaria every day.

The record breaking attempt takes place at Eagle Square, Abuja, Nigeria on Tuesday April 18^th from 9.30am and will be hosted by the country’s First Lady, Chief (Mrs) Stella Obasanjo, with an official from Guinness World Records monitoring events.

A group of 30 children from the Drama Club of the Federal Government Girls College Bwari in Abuja will also perform "Roll Back Malaria – Roll in Development" at the special ceremony. The specially written drama includes song, dance and a mock protest with placard wielding "demonstrators", all under 10 years-old, demanding the world wakes up to the scourge of malaria – a preventable disease that increasingly continues to burden dozens of African countries.

The Abuja schoolchildren hope to remind the world that malaria kills more than one million people a year with 9 out of 10 of the deaths in Africa. Unlike some areas of the world, malaria is on the increase in Africa, with under five year olds and pregnant women most at risk.

African Heads of State, Ministers from G8 countries and the Heads of international development agencies are meeting in Abuja a week later on Tuesday April 25^th for the African Summit on Roll Back malaria to explore ways to accelerate action to roll back malaria in Africa and rededicate themselves to cutting malaria deaths by at least half by the year 2010.

Once the bednet has been measured and recorded by Guinness World Records it will remain in Eagles Square up until the 24^th. On the 24^th it will be moved to the Nicon Hilton where it will be used as a dramatic backdrop to the Summit and a constant reminder to Heads of State that malaria deaths can be prevented using cost effective and simple methods like insecticide treated bednets.

-Ends-

9am
Press arrive.
9.30-9.50am
Arrival of guests at Eagle Square.
9.55am
Nigerian First Lady, Chief (Mrs) Stella Obasanjo, arrives.
10am
National Anthem.
10.10am
Dr Edugie Abebe, Nigeria’s Director of Primary Health Care and Disease Control, welcomes press and special guests and introduces the Bednet project.
10.20am
Performance of "Roll Back Malaria – Roll in Development" by the Drama Club of FGGC Bwari – including under 10s wielding placards that read "Malaria Kills African Children" etc
10.55am

The Honourable Minister for Health, Dr Tim Menakaya speaks about the forthcoming Summit
11.05am
Chief (Mrs) Stella Obasanjo speaks
11.15am
Chief (Mrs) Stella Obasanjo is joined by schoolchildren under the bednet to officially mark its launch
11.30am
Guinness World Records award the World Record Certificate
11.40am
The Honourable Minister for Health, Dr Tim Menakaya concludes
11.55am
National Anthem
12noon
Party leaves Eagle Square
12.30pm
Press Conference in the Lagos Room at the Nicon Hilton
Dr Edugie Abebe and The Honourable Minister Dr Tim Menakaya

Journalists or news crews wishing to attend the bednet event need to alert either Austine Oghide or Andy Seale by April 14^th to ensure Nigerian Government Accreditation.

For further information about the bednet event or Summit

Austine Oghide WHO Nigeria
00 234 1 545 3662/3 or 00 234 9 314 8776/7

Andy Seale WHO Geneva
00 41 22 791 3670 (until 14^th April) Sheraton Hotel Abuja 00 234 9 523 0225

Summit Secratariat
00 234 9 523 9323/8190

Chuddy Odueni Arcay Corporate Communications Lagos
00 234 1 497 0128

Kim Hudson Arcay Corporate Communications Johannesburg
00 27 11 480 8555

Janice Muir (UK)
00 44 171 407 3313

Jim Palmer (US)
00 1 202 262 9823

Check out the Press Pack on the Roll Back Malaria Website www.who.ch/rbm

Notes to Editors

1. The Summit Meeting on the 25^th , hosted by the Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, is being co-ordinated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) which also co-ordinates the global Roll Back Malaria Partnership movement.
2. African countries who have so far confirmed they will be represented include Libya, South Africa, Chad, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Botswana, Namibia, Sudan, Tanzania, Mauritiana, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, Egypt, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
3. The UK, US and Canada are sending representatives.
4. WHO Director General Dr Gro Brundtland will be representing both the WHO and the United Nations. Other Roll Back Malaria Partners UNICEF, World Bank and UNDP will also attend.
5. A standard sized bednet is 4-5 cubic metres. The world record breaking bednet is 1,200 cubic metres. The net was produced in Thailand by Siamdutch and Chongsam Industries.
6. Roll Back Malaria is a global partnership movement that advocates a four point strategy to prevent, treat and control malaria that includes increased use of bednets. The four elements are…

• People should sleep under insecticide treated mosquito nets.

• Pregnant women can take medicines to prevent and treat malaria.

• Diagnosis should be fast to allow effective treatment.

• Malaria should be monitored as epidemics can be contained within one week.