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Lang Lang takes on malaria

UNICEF Ambassador and famed pianist to raise awareness in Tanzania

Who: Lang Lang, UNICEF’s newest and youngest Goodwill Ambassador

What: Lang Lang is going to Tanzania to help raise awareness about the impact of malaria and other diseases on children, and the current efforts being taken by UNICEF and partners to address the situation.

When: 2 - 6 August 2004

Where: Tanzania, with community visits to UNICEF-supported projects in Dar es Salaam, Coast, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar

Why: Malaria kills 3,000 children in Africa every day. Malaria remains the leading cause of death of youngsters in Africa, and is still one of the most important threats to the health of pregnant women.

Proper use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) can reduce deaths from malaria by at least 20 per cent. However, less than 15 per cent of children and pregnant women currently sleep under a treated mosquito net.
If every child under five in Africa slept under an insecticide-treated mosquito net, costing only $4, nearly 500,000 child deaths could be prevented every year.
Some countries are now moving from chloroquine to the new ACT drugs, since chloroquine is no longer effective in many areas.

Appointed on 20 May 2004, Lang Lang’s visit to Tanzania is his first field mission for UNICEF.

Acclaimed in major concert halls in North America, Europe and Asia, Lang Lang has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to connect with audiences on a deeply personal level. He has become an ideal ambassador for classical music while acting as a role model for young people.

Photo will be available, and b-roll of Lang Lang’s appointment ceremony is available.

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For further information, please contact:

Mohammad Jalloh, UNICEF New York,
212 326 7516,
mjalloh@unicef.org

Beatrice Karanja, UNICEF Nairobi,
254-722-205482 (cell),
bkaranja@unicef.org

Georgina Mtenga, UNICEF Dar es Salaam,
255 +744 280278 (cell),
gmtenga@unicef.org