Taika Waititi, Global Stars to Read Roald Dahl Classic to Benefit PIH

Partners In Health is thrilled to announce that Oscar-winning filmmaker and actor Taika Waititi will lead a glittering line-up of global stars in a multi-week reading via YouTube of the Roald Dahl classic James and the Giant Peach, to benefit PIH’s global work and response to COVID-19.

In the 10-episode series, the Thor: Ragnorak director will lead viewers through the beloved children’s story with help from megastars, including: Meryl Streep, Ryan Reynolds, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cara Delevigne, Chris and Liam Hemsworth, Cate Blanchett and Lupita Nyong’o.

The first two episodes are now available on the Roald Dahl YouTube channel. New episodes will be released every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 1 p.m. EDT.

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Viewers will be encouraged to donate. The Roald Dahl Story Company has committed to matching the first $1 million donated and has a history of supporting PIH’s work. Ophelia Dahl, PIH co-founder and board chair, is the daughter of Roald Dahl, who was among the organization’s first supporters.

“He believed deeply in the power of imagination to fuel important change, whether a vastly better health system, a more effective vaccine, or jobs for the most vulnerable,” Dahl said of her father. “Creativity and partnership are at the root of our organization.”

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The campaign will support PIH’s critical work globally in the fight against COVID-19. Having successfully confronted infectious disease outbreaks for more than 30 years, PIH is uniquely positioned to respond to COVID-19, building on deep experience in treating epidemics and responding to emergency situations around the world.

In addition to its global efforts, PIH recently announced the expansion of its national efforts to fight COVID-19 with the launch of a new unit aimed at helping under-resourced public health entities in the U.S. build and refine contact tracing programs. The U.S. Public Health Accompaniment Unit follows the launch of PIH’s Community Tracing Collaborative  in Massachusetts.

PIH knows that the best way to defeat any new disease is to rely on and invest in local health systems that deliver high-quality, dignified care. Through health system strengthening and long-term partnership, PIH offers an antidote to despair and demonstrates that injustice has a cure.