North American Airlines Supports Carter Center Program to Eradicate Guinea Worm Disease
19 Gennaio 2006 - 8:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
JAMAICA, N.Y., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- North American
Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of World Air Holdings, Inc.
(NASDAQ:WLDAE), has launched an onboard program to raise funds in
support of The Carter Center and its mission to eradicate Guinea
worm disease. North American produced a four-minute video that
explains the disease and urges passengers to "make history and
change the world" by making a financial contribution to the Carter
Center's Guinea Worm Eradication Program. The onboard video, shown
on North American Airlines scheduled service flights, features
Carter Center founder and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, and
informs passengers that all contributions will be matched by the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "After we launched North
American Airlines service to Accra last summer, we considered
various opportunities to demonstrate our commitment to Ghana," said
Rob Binns, World Air Holdings Chief Marketing Officer. "Eradication
of Guinea worm disease is a worthwhile commitment that will have a
permanent impact on the quality of life in Ghana, and we are proud
to join with The Carter Center for this humanitarian mission."
Since 1986, the Center has coordinated a coalition of organizations
and governments to eradicate Guinea worm disease, a parasite that
once crippled millions in Africa and Asia. When the program began,
there were roughly 3.5 million cases in 20 countries. Today, there
are fewer than 12,000 cases in nine countries -- all in Africa. To
help break the cycle, health workers and field volunteers continue
to intensify efforts. Ghana has renewed efforts by targeting the
disease for complete elimination in the nation's golden anniversary
year, 2007. "The Carter Center, in a partnership with North
American Airlines, believes good health is a basic human right,"
said Jimmy Carter. "The impact of having Guinea worm disease
probably will never enter your life or the lives of your family.
Yet, at this very moment, it is crippling someone else's children.
Together we can eradicate this horrible disease within our
lifetime." Guinea worm is poised to become the second disease to be
eradicated in human history, and the first to be overcome without a
vaccine or treatment. It is a painful waterborne parasite that
affects rural communities. Guinea worm cripples adults and
children, preventing them from farming or attending school. In
poor, remote areas, people contract the disease by unknowingly
drinking water contaminated with the Guinea worm larvae. Over the
span of a year, the worm matures to a length of one meter before
painfully exiting the human body through a skin blister. The
burning sensation often drives victims to nearby ponds to seek
relief. The worm then releases tiny larvae into the water and the
cycle continues. The disease can be prevented by educating people
about the causes, and by providing filters to screen larvae from
drinking water. In Accra, on April 5, 2005, The Carter Center
announced that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation would pledge
USD$25 million to the Center's fight to eradicate the remaining
cases of Guinea worm disease worldwide. The grant included an
initial $5 million contribution and challenges other donors to
provide an additional $20 million, which the Gates Foundation will
match one- to-one. Donations collected on board North American
flights will be forwarded to the Carter Center's Guinea Worm
Eradication Program and doubled by the Gates Foundation. "We hope
to extend the program to other customers at both of our
subsidiaries, North American and World Airways, so they can
participate in this humanitarian effort and make an even greater
impact," Binns said. North American Airlines, Inc., a wholly owned
subsidiary of World Air Holdings, Inc., is a U.S.-certificated air
carrier offering air transportation services throughout the world
for the U.S. military and commercial customers. Founded in 1989,
North American operates a fleet of eight passenger aircraft in
charter and scheduled service. For information, visit
http://www.northamericanair.com/. The Carter Center was founded in
1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn,
in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health
worldwide. A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, the
Center has helped to improve life for people in more than 65
countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human
rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; improving
mental health care; and teaching farmers to increase crop
production. Please visit http://www.cartercenter.org/ to learn more
about The Carter Center. First Call Analyst: FCMN Contact:
sforsyth@wlda.com DATASOURCE: World Air Holdings, Inc. CONTACT:
Steve Forsyth of World Air Holdings, Inc., +1-770-632-8322 Web
site: http://www.worldairways.com/ http://www.northamericanair.com/
http://www.cartercenter.org/
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