David Beckham appeals for end to malaria by ‘speaking’ in nine languages
‘Speak up and say ‘malaria must die’,' the former footballer states
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.David Beckham "speaks" nine languages in a new short film calling for an end to malaria.
The aim of the campaign, titled "Malaria Must Die, So Millions Can Live", is to encourage more people to raise awareness of the disease, which kills more than one million people every year.
In the short film, Beckham appears to speak fluently about malaria in languages including Spanish, Arabic, Hindi and Mandarin, in addition to his native English.
The voices heard in the video in addition to Beckham's belong to men and women around the world who have been affected by malaria, including survivors of the disease and doctors with experience treating it.
"Malaria isn't just any disease. It's the deadliest disease there's ever been," the former England captain states in English at the beginning of the clip.
"Speak up and say 'malaria must die'. One voice can be powerful, but all of our voices together, then they will have to listen," the 43-year-old adds at the end of the film.
Using Artificial Intelligence video synthesis technology, the producers of the campaign film created a 3D model of Beckham which was re-animated to make it appear as if all the voices featured in the video are being spoken by the former footballer.
According to non-profit organisation Malaria No More, approximately half the world is at risk from the disease.
Furthermore, in 2017 there were an estimated 219 million cases of malaria across 90 countries worldwide.
Beckham is a founding member of the Malaria No More UK Leadership Council, which he sits on alongside tennis star Andy Murray.
"I have been working with Malaria No More UK for over 10 years and to be a part of this campaign and to help share some of the real stories behind malaria is really important to me," he says with regards to the campaign.
Beckham explains that he was joined on set for the campaign video by Dr Elvis Eze, a youth ambassador for Malaria No More who has suffered from the disease on multiple occasions.
"For me, it was so important to learn how he is using his experiences to raise awareness of malaria with young people in the UK and abroad," Beckham states.
"It's unacceptable that malaria still kills a child every two minutes so please add your voice to the petition."
Malaria is a tropical disease that's spread by mosquitos, the NHS outlines.
Symptoms of malaria can include headaches, vomiting, a temperate of 38C or above and feeling hot and shivery.
The NHS recommends seeking medical attention immediately if you're experiencing possible symptoms and are in a high-risk area.
For more information about malaria, visit the NHS here.
To learn more about the "Malaria Must Die, So Millions Can Live" campaign, click here.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments