Addis Abeba — High-profile figures from the world of sport, politics, non-governmental organizations, global health, and business, came together in Addis Ababa yesterday to show their support and to launch the United Against Malaria campaign across Africa.
United Against Malaria is a partnership of leaders, organizations, and sporting stars that have joined forces ahead of the historic hosting of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 2010. Initiators said the objective is to turn the tide on a disease that kills an African child every thirty seconds by the next World Cup in 2014.
The campaign aims to change people's behavior by encouraging families to sleep under nets and take other steps to beat the disease. It also aims to drive concrete action from African corporate and political leaders to tackle malaria in the run up to the World Cup in South Africa, they added.
Ethiopia has achieved great success in the fight against malaria; organizers said in a statement adding that the country was therefore selected to be a place to kick-off a series of regional launches that will culminate at the World Cup Draw in Cape Town, South Africa on December 4.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom, Minister of Health of Ethiopia indicated that in Ethiopia, though the rapid expansion of control efforts, the lowest number of malaria cases was reported in 2007, the lowest number in the period 2001-2007.
The minister who also chairs the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria said Africa has made good progress on malaria but puts how to sustain and build on these gains as the challenge the continent is facing now.
"We have seen that in just two years and through concerted efforts, malaria deaths have been reduced by more than 50 percent in countries like Eritrea, Rwanda and Zambia." To halt and reverse the incidence of malaria, according to the minister, is not only a specific Millennium development goal target, but it is also essential to improving maternal and child health, improving education and significantly reducing poverty.
"Through immediate action and with concerted effort, we can achieve unprecedented increases in mosquito net coverage across Africa to save millions of lives by the next world cup in 2014" he added.
"Malaria kills a child every thirty seconds. That is 180 young Africans needlessly dying in the time it takes to play a football match," said Kwesi Nyantakyi, President of the Ghanaian Football Association. "I am proud that the first World Cup staged on African soil will be used to turn the tide on this killer disease. I am firmly United Against Malaria" Ethiopian Olympic Champion and world Marathon record holder Haile Gebreselassie, who attended the launching event here at the Sheraton, said he was very excited to be part of the campaign. "Today marks a historic day in the race to meet our shared commitment to beating malaria. If we are to reach our ambitious goal to virtually end malaria deaths it requires a huge effort from every individual. Every single person in Africa can be a hero in this campaign by simply sleeping under a net," Haile added.
As part of the worldwide launch, the United Against Malaria Team will be led by 12-year-old Charles Ssali, a malaria survivor and top footballer in his age group in his native Uganda, one of the top five malaria endemic countries in the world. Charles will travel from Ethiopia to New York and Brussels before arriving in South Africa ahead of the World Cup draw. His goal will be to secure the support of public and private sector leaders for the campaign and gather signatures on a football that will be presented to African leaders.
"I love football, but I hate malaria. I love playing football with my friends, but sometimes my friends are too sick from malaria to play." Charles said.
The Ethiopian and Ghanaian Football Associations used the occasion to announce that they, together with their Tanzanian, Ugandan and Zambian counterparts, are joining the campaign which is endorsed by FIFA.
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