Andy Murray is starring in a new advert to highlight the dangers of malaria and the importance of using mosquito nets. He has agreed to help out the charity, Malaria No More UK, which campaigns to raise awareness about the potentially life-threatening disease. The charity, founded in 2009 and supported by footballer David Beckham, has a pledge that every penny donated by the public to them is spent directly on the ground in Africa to support prevention and treatment programs.
The advert will feature the tennis champ building up for a smash serve, only to stop when he realises there is no net. As he waits for someone to bring a net, he is then shown performing a few flashy moves.
He has said that he wanted to take part in the advert as, though the disease is preventable, it still claims the lives of 2,000 people each day in Africa. The dead are largely children, as they have not had time to build up immunity to the disease.
Those travelling to areas where malaria is present are particularly vulnerable to infection. Travellers are recommended to take anti-malarial medication during their trip to protect them and to always sleep under mosquito nets. However, though mosquito nets are relatively cheap for those in the West, many in Africa are forced by their price to go without.
Murray is particularly keen to raise awareness amongst travellers of the need for mosquito nets and protective medication. In the last 10 years, there has been a 190% rise in the number of people travelling to malaria-affected regions, with 2,000 Brits contracting the disease each year.
He said that his own travels have brought him into contact with people who have been affected by malaria. He also revealed that he knew people in the UK who had lost loved ones to the disease, describing it as ‘such a tragedy’.