Ben Affleck joins Hillary Clinton for Congo event

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Ben Affleck will join Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday in Washington D.C. to draw attention to the high rate of preventable child mortality in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The event, which will also involve USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, is being called Child Survival: Call to Action.

Affleck is not there in his capacity as a Hollywood star, but in his role as the founder of Eastern Congo Initiative, a non-profit group that was formed in 2010 to foster economic and social development for the Congolese people.

Thursday's event will focus on the country's dubious distinction of having the fifth highest mortality rate in the world for children under five years old, the Eastern Congo Initiative said.

"We wouldn't allow four year-olds to die from preventable diseases in the U.S. - nor should we let it happen in Congo or anywhere else," Affleck said in a statement.

Affleck next stars in and directs "Argo," a political thriller about the Iranian Revolution that debuts on October 12.