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Over 250 people of different faiths came together on Monday to take a stand against Malaria

In a church draped with bed nets over 250 people from every faith, age and background came together to take action to help prevent a million lives lost to malaria each year by donating money, starring in an educational film and raising awareness about malaria online.

Aqsa Mohammed a Faiths Act volunteer from Surrey expressed the sense of excitement generated by the evening,

"It was inspiring and encouraging to see so many people from all walks of life, young and old from all faiths together in a church making a real difference to those suffering from malaria. I hope people all across London will get involved in this important campaign."

Night Under Nets was an event to mark World Malaria Day was organised by the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, the Faiths Act Fellows, Malaria No More UK and Sumitomo Chemical who make the anti malaria Olyset Net and hosted by Holy Trinity Brompton Church in London. It was the first and only event of its kind in London

The event left everyone in the room a renewed sense of energy to act against this disease. Most of those who attended signed a card pledging to take action to end deaths from malaria. Messages from Singapore, Canada and elsewhere from those watching on the live stream demonstrated the scale of the anti-malaria movement.

The evening’s speakers all had powerful stories to tell about their own experiences of malaria. Host Lukwesa Burak of Sky News spoke movingly of her own family’s experiences of malaria in Zambia. Malaria No More ambassador Jo Yirrel told how the tragic loss of her son Harry to malaria inspired her to fight so no mother anyone in the world would have to endure this. While Rwandan High Commissioner His Excellency Ernest Rwamucyo offered a story of hope with his own government’s efforts to reduce deaths from the disease.

From every speaker we heard the same story that now is the moment to redouble efforts to end deaths from malaria with only a matter of months left to achieve the United Nation’s critical goals in combating this disease.

Faiths Act Fellows Nicky and Nadeem have been mobilising people of faith in their local communities since September to increase awareness about this disease and this event marks the culmination of their work. They talked about the work they’re already doing in Faith communities, bringing young people together to fight the disease, only last week they’d raised £10,000 for Malaria No More by jumping out of a plane with a group of volunteers from different faiths. Many of these same volunteers were helping on the night selling raffle tickets and encouraging people to spread the word on Facebook.

Tony Blair has personally matched all the funds raised on the night, this brings the total to over £5000 which will go to leading charities in the fight against malaria; Malaria No More UK and Project Muso Ladamunen. As well as this Sumitomo Chemical kindly donated 300 Olyset bed nets, one for every person who attended on the event and a few more besides!

Faiths Act Fellows and volunteers across London are continuing to mark World Malaria Day this week, with the Malaria X event tomorrow night, a family fun day on Saturday and fundraising at Liverpool St Station on Sunday so go along and get involved! Or find out what you can do in your community for World Malaria Day here.