Note to Correspondents

Stars of ABC TV ‘Ugly Betty’ Series to Visit United Nations

to Help Raise Awareness about Anti-Malaria Campaign

 

Stars of the ABC television comedy series Ugly Betty will join representatives from the United Nations and the United Nations Foundation’s “Nothing But Nets” campaign at a press conference on Thursday, 8 October 2009, at 1:00 p.m. at United Nations Headquarters (Room 226) to discuss how the cast and crew of the show are starting the new season by helping to raise awareness about malaria.

Actors Judith Light, Ana Ortiz and Tony Plana from Ugly Betty, and the show’s Executive Producer, Richard Heus, will join Elizabeth McKee Gore, Executive Director of Global Partnerships and “Nothing But Nets” for the United Nations Foundation.  The discussion will be moderated by Kiyo Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information.

The Ugly Betty season premiere, shot partially on location at United Nations Headquarters under the auspices of the recently launched Creative Community Outreach Initiative, features “Nothing But Nets”, a United Nations Foundation campaign to prevent malaria in Africa.  The episode will air on ABC on Friday, 16 October 2009, at 8:00–10:00 p.m. (EDT).

Malaria infects more than 500 million people around the world each year, killing more than 1 million.  Every 30 seconds a child in Africa dies from a malaria infection.  Bed nets prevent malaria transmission by creating a protective barrier against mosquitoes at night, when the vast majority of transmissions occur.  It costs only $10 to provide an insecticide-treated bed net that can prevent this deadly disease.  (For more information on “Nothing But Nets”, please visit www.NothingButNets.net.)

The Creative Community Outreach Initiative is the first point of entry in the United Nations for the international creative community.  It acts as a liaison between the United Nations and producers, directors, writers and new media professionals seeking a working relationship with the United Nations.  Visit www.un.org/en/creative to learn more.

For further information, please contact Negin Janati at +1 202 378 7858, njanati@unfoundation.org; or Dina Daoud at +1 917 367 1088, daoudd@un.org.  For United Nations media accreditation (required), go to www.un.org/media/accreditation/index.htm.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record