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mothers2mothers launch campaign 'Birth Should Be About Life' including a film by BBH and Martin de Thurah ‘A World Apart’

London, Tuesday 26th November 2013 – In the run up to World AIDS Day, 1st December, leading advertising agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty and acclaimed Danish film director Martin de Thurah will release their short film made especially for mothers2mothers (m2m), a charity that works to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa.
Created by BBH, directed by Martin de Thurah, with post-production by The Mill, the 2 minute film brings the experience of HIV-positive African mothers to the global north. Actress Skye Bennett plays a young HIV-positive mother in a developed western city dealing with the over-stretched health system and lack of support experienced by some of the 1.3 million pregnant HIV-positive women in sub-Saharan Africa each year. **
These women not only contend with stigma and discrimination, often from those closest to them, but also face increased risk of maternal mortality and the prospect of potentially passing on the deadly virus to their babies. Without the right treatment and support, 50% of the 260,000 children born with HIV each year will die before their second birthday.
This does not need to happen. Improvements in medication and treatment now mean that the transmission of HIV from mother-to-child is preventable. The babies born HIV negative because of the one million plus women reached by mothers2mothers is proof of this.
We now have the chance to make birth about life, and nothing else. mothers2mothers wants to reach another million women. Join us: Share the film and follow the campaign on Twitter via #PREVENTBABYHIV, @m2mtweets and on Facebook.
“When I first found out about mothers2mothers I thought it was so intriguing, so positive and well thought through. It’s getting behind a movement like this that genuinely can make a difference, which makes it interesting for us to work on. What makes the film so powerful is the very simple creative technique of juxtaposition; here we take the problems that an African mother would have in dealing with being told she is HIV-positive but we transpose everything that happens to her to a Western European country and the shock and the horror of it becomes more poignant. That’s what makes it a powerful film.” Sir John Hegarty, Founder BBH.
“We thank Sir John Hegarty and the team at BBH for their very generous support for this powerful film and the new website they have created for us. The film illustrates better than words why mothers2mothers’ team of HIV-positive Mentor Mothers on the ground are so important; for the support and hope they offer their peers. Please share the film and help us raise the funds we need to eliminate AIDS in children because Maternal and Infant deaths from AIDS are unnecessary and unacceptable. No baby should be born with HIV and no mother should die of AIDS.” Dr. Mitch Besser, Founder, mothers2mothers.
**Data from: UNAIDS (2013) 2013 Progress Report on the Global Plan, p 64.

Launch Event

14:30 – 15:30hrs, Tuesday 26th November 2013 at BBH Global, 60 Kingly Street, London W1 5DS: Dr. Mitch Besser and Sir John Hegarty will present the film and hold a Q&A session for VIPs, supporters, media and top bloggers. To attend the event please contact: [email protected].

Media Contact

Jenny Rose, 0207 263 9304, 07957 551 697 or [email protected]

Media Materials Available:

Campaign: http://bit.ly/birth-should-be-about-life
A World Apart: http://bit.ly/A-World-Apart
A World With mothers2mothers: http://bit.ly/A-World-With-mothers2mothers
*QR Code available for print.
Join the discussion: #PREVENTBABYHIV

About mothers2mothers

mothers2mothers trains, employs, and empowers mothers living with HIV to eliminate the transmission of HIV from mothers to babies and improve the health of women, their partners and families. Working alongside doctors and nurses in understaffed health centres as members of the healthcare team, these Mentor Mothers provide essential health education and psychosocial support. They are rigorously trained and paid, which benefits not only their respective families but also the community as a whole and reduces stigma associated with HIV. m2m has reached more than one million mothers in nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and catalysed affiliated Mentor Mother programmes in two additional countries. Founded in South Africa in 2001, m2m is a partner in the United Nations’ Global Plan towards the Elimination of New HIV Infections among Children by 2015 and Keeping their Mothers Alive.
Learn more at m2m.org or follow mothers2mothers @m2mtweets.

About BBH

Bartle Bogle Hegarty is one of the world’s most famous creative advertising agencies. Founded in 1982 by British ad men John Bartle, Nigel Bogle and John Hegarty, the agency has produced campaigns for many of the world’s most illustrious brands including Levi’s, Audi and Barnardo’s.
BBH London is currently Agency of the Year as voted by Campaign magazine, Marketing magazine, the APG strategy awards and the ARROWS (the British Television Advertising Awards).
BBH has offices in London, New York, Sao Paulo, Singapore, Shanghai, Mumbai and LA and employs 1000 staff worldwide.
Visit www.bartleboglehegarty.com or follow @bbhlondon on Twitter

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