Africa Cup football teams join to fight malaria

The United Against Malaria Partnership (UAM) has launched a major media campaign to fight malaria during the 27th edition of the African Nations Cup in Angola, which kicked off on January 10. The campaign includes a series of television spots featuring African football stars and United Against Malaria youth ambassador Charles Ssali. The spots are airing during broadcasts of the Cup which runs until  January 31 in the cities of Luanda, Lubango, Cabinda and Benguela.

A spokesman for the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, Herve Verhoosel, told media “We will use the power of football to communicate on malaria prevention. When a player speaks on TV or on the radio or in the press, when the player says to the young children, ‘Sleep under a bed net,’ people are listening.”

According to VOANEWS, “Angola’s national football association this week joined similar associations from Ivory Coast, Ghana, Uganda, Zambia and the United States in the anti-malaria group. Other members include the national teams of Mali and Tanzania and European Champions Barcelona of Spain.”

The partnership, which is supported by international donors and corporate sponsors including ExxonMobil and Sumitomo Chemical, will extend the media campaign to the football World Cup which kicks off in June in South Africa.