Just moments ago, Ghana and Uruguay kicked-off their big World Cup match. Ghana’s the only African team still left in the widely-loved soccer tournament, so here’s hoping that they go far.
But the Black Stars haven’t just been working hard on the field. They’ve teamed up with United Against Malaria to help save lives off the field, too. They’ve shown malaria PSAs, talked about the importance of using bed nets and other malaria prevention tools, encouraged their communities to join in the fight.
To learn more about how you can help kick malaria to the curb, check out United Against Malaria today!
It’s hard to imagine the World Cup getting any more exciting, but in reality, the fun is just getting underway.
Fans can’t wait for Saturday, when the USA will play Ghana for a place in the quarter-finals. But regardless of the game’s outcome, one team is already guaranteed to advance: United Against Malaria.
United Against Malaria is a partnership of soccer stars and teams, celebrities, health and advocacy organizations including ONE, governments, corporations and grassroots supporters from all around the world. All of us have united for the World Cup to win the fight against malaria, a preventable disease which still kills a child every 30 seconds in Africa.
It’s very cool that Saturday’s match up brings together two of United Against Malaria’s most active supporters in U.S. Soccer and the Ghana Football Association—not to mention the hero of U.S. soccer fans everywhere, Landon Donovan, whose clutch play has vaulted the U.S. team to new heights on the world’s biggest stage. Another notable supporter is Kwesi Nyantakyi , President of the Ghana Football Association, whose squad is also shining brightly and has a whole continent behind it as the only remaining African team in the Cup.
By leveraging all the excitement of the first World Cup on African soil, United Against Malaria specifically aims to catalyze the world to reach the goal of universal access to mosquito nets and malaria medicine in Africa this year, a crucial first step to reaching the international target of reducing malaria deaths to near zero by 2015. It’s an ambitious goal, but with some extra effort and collective will, it’s achievable—sort of like what the U.S. and Ghana teams are showing on the field.
When it comes to the fight against malaria and soccer, I think Landon says it well, from United Against Malaria’s pre-match press release:
“Ordinarily, elimination is a word that no professional soccer player likes to hear, but when it comes to malaria, it’s the most worthwhile goal there is. As professional athletes, we understand the importance of putting together a team that has diversity in skill, but unity in a common goal. United, we can defeat malaria.”
So as the World Cup drama and your fan-fueled enthusiasm intensifies this weekend, be sure to check out United Against Malaria and find out how you can play a part in bringing an end to malaria deaths in five years.
The football World Cup continues in South Africa and to coincide with the tournament our friends at United Against Malaria have produced a special World Cup edition of their magazine ‘Goal!’
Every 40 seconds, a child in sub-Saharan Africa dies from a mosquito bite. Yet malaria is an entirely preventable and treatable disease with affordable solutions.
United Against Malaria is a partnership of football teams, celebrities, health and advocacy organizations, governments, corporations, and individuals who have united ahead of the World Cup to win the fight against the disease. It’s goal is to galvanize partners throughout the world to reach the United Nations target of universal access to mosquito nets and malaria medicine in Africa by the end of 2010, a crucial first step to reaching the international target of reducing deaths to near zero by 2015.
As well as lots of useful information about malaria GOAL! Also includes an interview with Kolo Toure, member of the Ivory Coast football team and UAM Champion.
Two elected officials, holding different offices, from different states, both calling for an end to malaria deaths by 2015. In a piece at End the Neglect, Representative John Boozman of Arkansas’s 3rd District argues that this goal is attainable, citing his own experiences as the Chairman and Member of the House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health:
[...]With the advancements we have made in medicine, there is no reason for Malaria to infect millions of people in 106 countries. Even so, the impact of the disease on health care budgets and economies in Africa is staggering. In fact, health officials in Africa spend 40 percent of their health care budgets on Malaria in hopes of educating, preventing, and treating the disease. In addition, the 250 million people who become sick and suffer from symptoms, such as fever and headache, are not able to work or go to school. As a result, healthy family members are forced to leave work to care for their ill relatives and more than $12 billion in productivity and resources are lost.
Preventative measures, such as spraying homes with insecticide and sleeping under insecticide-treated nets, are cost-effective ways to reduce the transmission of Malaria. We have seen the success of these measures both in Ethiopia and Zanzibar. In Ethiopia, cases of Malaria fell 60 percent and deaths decreased by 51 percent in two years time. In Zanzibar, Malaria in school children was reduced from 60 percent to about one percent. These are excellent results, and we must to use this momentum to build on our progress.
Meanwhile, Malaria No More has a great video of Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi speaking at a United Against Malaria reception last week. He gets huge applause with the line “No more malaria deaths by 2015– we can do that”. Check it out:
Add another important name to the fight against malaria.
For the very first time, the Archbishop of Canterbury (the head of the Church of England) recorded a message for World Malaria Day to show his support and urge others to help kick malaria out for good. He made the message in support of United Against Malaria, a diverse coalition that aims to raise global awareness and renew worldwide commitment to ending malaria.
Here’s an excerpt of the Archbishop’s message. You can listen to his full remarks in the video below.
“One of the things that I was taught when I was growing up was that among the greatest achievements of modern science was the identification of where malaria came from. That was many years ago and in the intervening years, tragically the challenge of malaria has grown worse not better…But we do have the resources to eliminate malaria. The goal has been set for getting rid of malaria and on this World Malaria Day it’s important to remember that goal.”
This Sunday, April 25 is World Malaria Day, a moment to continue to build momentum behind efforts that are beating back this entirely preventable and treatable disease.
On World Malaria Day and throughout 2010, ONE is part of a global partnership called United Against Malaria, which brings together other nonprofits, corporations, athletes, celebrities, government officials and grassroots activists to kick the world into high gear to end deaths from malaria. The project, which is playing off the popularity of soccer, especially the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, will have many activities going on around the world this week and more ways to get involved throughout the summer.
One of the coolest elements of United Against Malaria is a new film documentary called “When the Night Comes.” Directed by Bobby Bailey, founder of the organization Invisible Children, the film is an entertaining, emotional and insightful look at the devastating effect of malaria in Africa and how it can be beat. Among others, ONE’s President and CEO David Lane is featured in the film (check out the video clip below).
You can watch the film yourself or check the film’s facebook page for future screenings and more info. A clip from the film is also being featured in ONE Sabbath events on World Malaria Day this Sunday.
Check out this great new PSA from LA Galaxy Captain and U.S. Soccer midfielder Landon Donovan. Landon recently teamed up with United Against Malaria and its youngest champion, 12 year old Charles Ssali from Uganda, to help show how folks from across the globe can join in the fight against malaria. You can read lots more about United Against Malaria and all the work that they do here.
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