Malaria, a disease transmitted by mosquitoes, is one of the most deadly diseases in African nations, infecting 10 people per second and killing a child every minute. Nothing But Nets is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping to stop the spread of this disease. While Europe and North America has managed to combat malaria through advanced researches in science, technology and medicine, nations in Africa don’t have the same resources, much less access to such health care and treatments. Not only do African communities see many deaths because of malaria, but individual and economic productivity is also affected.

Nothing But Nets is a campaign under the United Nations Foundation, inspired by the popular sports columnist Rick Reilly in 2006. The premise of the charity is simple: provide insecticide-treated bed nets for the families of these poverty-stricken countries in order to prevent the mosquitoes carrying malaria from biting them. One mosquito net costs only ten US dollars and can last one family four years because of its uniquely treated material – a cost-effective way of stopping malaria. Nothing But Nets has massive support from people of all walks of life through donations. In the five years the charity has existed, it has seen hundreds of thousands of people who have been generous, not only in giving but also in volunteering for the cause. The foundation’s goal is to completely halt the spread of malaria by the year 2015.

Nothing But Nets works in partnership with numerous groups and organizations such as the UNICEF, National Basketball Association’s charity, NBA Cares, the Boy Scouts of America, the United Methodist Church, recording artist Usher’s New Look Foundation and so on. The organization also works hand in hand with the local health departments for each country they serve, and continues to save the people of Africa one bed net at a time.