Mandy Moore Heads To The Hill To Highlight AIDS Prevention

By Janie Amaya

Singer and actress Mandy Moore joined a group of health panelists on Capitol Hill Thursday to highlight the ongoing achievements in the fight against AIDS in the U.S. and world wide, on World AIDS Day.

U.S. supported programs such as family planning and HIV/AIDS integration services are great contributors in the fight to achieve an AIDS-free generation, according to the Global Health Council.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic broke-out nearly 30 years ago and according to the Global Health Council these prevention programs are efficient, effective and in demand.

As the Ambassador for the non-profit organization Population Services International (PSI), Moore has travelled extensively around the world working to help improve the health and lives of people in developing countries.

Moore said that through her travels, she has been able to see first hand the toll HIV/AIDS takes on families who don’t rely on support systems such as family planning and HIV/AIDS integration services.

“Country-wide in Cameroon, there are 330,000 children who have lost one parent to HIV/AIDS, classifying them as AIDS orphans,” Moore said.

However, according to Moore and the Global AIDS Report, the overall growth of the AIDS epidemic has steadily declined since the late 1990s due to significant antiretroviral therapy over the past few years.
 
“The most recent United Nations AIDS reports on World AIDS Day highlights the fact that eliminating new HIV infections in children is completely within our grasp,” Moore said.

Ugandan physician and panelist Dr. Peter Okaalet said that in a country where family planning was almost a taboo in the past, the latest HIV/AIDS prevention and education efforts begin with teaching the young people.

Actress Mandy Moore Joins UN Drive To Fight Malaria

Mandy Moore is joining a long list of celebrities who have helped raise money to try and prevent the spread of malaria in Africa and other regions around the world.

Moore, a 26-year-old New Hampshire-born singer/songwriter/actress, has been involved with fighting malaria for several years. She has also helped raise money and generate awareness for leukemia and lymphoma.

In a conference call with reporters on Friday, Moore announced that she is currently in the Central African Republic (CAR) this week, teaming up with the UN Foundation to help raise funds for net beds that can be used to prevent mosquito bites, which are the primary cause of malaria.

“We can prevent this disease, we can save lives,” she said. “We just need everyone’s involvement…a 10 dollar donation truly does save lives.”

The UN Foundation, a charity that promotes United Nations initiatives, started its ‘Nothing But Nets’ campaign in 2006 in an effort to help distribute life-saving nets to those in need. The incesticide-treated nets cost $10 dollars per, and if used properly can lower the spread of malaria by up to 90% in high-risk areas. Foundation studies show that one net bed generally lasts a family up to four years.

According to statistics compiled by the World Health Organization, roughly 250 million cases of malaria are reported each year, resulting in around one million deaths annually. 85% of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa, with mostly young children under the age of five falling victim.

Moore said 400,000 more nets are needed in CAR by the end of the year in order to supply every household in the country.