Pop star Samantha Mumba left Dublin Airport yesterday bound for Africa, which she will visit as a special representative of UNICEF Ireland.
She is making the fact-finding trip to Zambia as part of her role as spokeswoman for UNICEF Ireland's annual schools campaign, "Kids Helping Kids". UNICEF's campaign this year is focused on eradicating polio. Although Zambia is now polio-free, UNICEF initiates several national immunisation campaigns in Zambia and other countries each year. UNICEF also immunises children against preventable diseases, such as measles and diphtheria.
Samantha will witness the devastation caused by HIV and AIDS throughout Zambia. She will visit UNICEF antenatal clinics, where women who are HIV-positive receive special anti-retrovital drugs, which, UNICEF states, help reduce the transmission of HIV to their babies by up to 60 per cent.