This week the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) New Zealand launched an online campaign called Under Cover, aimed addressing at risk of children at risk of getting malaria.

UNICEF New Zealand aims to raise $385,000 to buy 35,000 life-saving bed nets for children. The Under Cover campaign is part of a global UNICEF drive to deliver 25 million bed nets to children in malaria endemic countries by the end of 2010.

UNICEF Online Marketing Manager Liz Phillips says that every thirty seconds a child dies from malaria - a figure that is unacceptably high. Malaria is a preventable disease spread by mosquitoes, that claims the lives of 1 million people per year, mostly children living in Africa.

“We are asking Kiwis to help UNICEF protect children from malaria by visiting unicefundercover.org.nz and purchasing a bed net for just $11.”

The Under Cover campaign is also offering a widget, an online fundraising tool that people can add to their Web sites, blogs and social networking pages, allowing them to set their own personal fundraising targets and invite others to help them raise money for UNICEF.

To get your own Under Cover fundraising widget or to make a donation go to unicefundercover.org.nz.