A campaign inspired by the first FIFA World Cup in Africa was on Thursday given full support by FIFA and World Cup legend Roger Milla in Johannesburg, South Africa.
A statement issued and signed by Lorraine Baldwin; Africa Representative of United Against Malaria Campaign, said the world football
governing body and the star of 1990 World Cup were fully behind the campaign.
The partnership of football teams, celebrities, health and advocacy organisations, governments, corporations, and individuals have united around the 2010 World Cup in South Africa to help win the fight against malaria.
Both FIFA and Milla intend to play their part in ending deaths from a disease that kills a child in Africa every 30 seconds.
The statement said despite the heavy toll malaria inflicted on Africa, it was totally preventable and treatable.
It said that there had been significant progress in delivering long-lasting insecticide treated nets and indoor spraying, as well as new
front line treatments.
However, more action was needed to reach the international target of reducing malaria deaths to near zero by 2015, it added.
The support of FIFA and Milla would help meet the campaign's objectives of maintaining the focus of leadership in fighting the disease among leaders in Africa and in addition, play a crucial role in delivering messages on using mosquito nets and seeking treatment within 24 hours.
"The FIFA World Cup in South Africa is a very special occasion and we hope that by holding the tournament in Africa it would have a positive
impact on the whole continent.
"We have asked national teams in Africa to take on a cause to support and use their profile to make a difference in their countries," said
Federico Addiechi, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, FIFA.
"The United Against Malaria campaign is one of the real legacies to come from the FIFA World Cup and FIFA is happy to support the malaria
community to achieve our collective aim of virtually ending malaria deaths by 2015," it added.
The campaign already boasts of the support of 16 national football associations in Africa, as well as top footballers such as Kolo Toure,
Michael Essien, Didier Drogba, Fredi Kanoute and Landon Donovan.
The long term support of Roger Milla, one of the best known African footballers of all times, would help ensure malaria remained a focus for
leaders across Africa.
"I have suffered from malaria, my friends and family have suffered from malaria and Africa has suffered from malaria for far too long," said Roger Milla, Cameroon football legend.
"This World Cup is special as the first one in Africa and by using football, the United Against Malaria campaign has built up a formidable partnership to end deaths from this terrible disease. I know I cannot make a
big difference alone, and that is why I have signed up to be a member of the United Against Malaria team".
One of the major challenges over the coming years would be to ensure that treatment and prevention tools were used correctly and that African leadership maintained its focus on malaria.
These are both areas where football can use its almost universal appeal across the continent to help overcome these challenges. Football can reach into the most remote corners of the continent, and as such, can play an important role in delivering messages to make sure mosquito nets are firstly used and secondly used correctly.
Herve Verhoosel, External Relations Manager of Roll Back Malaria Partnership, said FIFA, and its President Sepp Blatter, had been instrumental in the success of the campaign to date by encouraging national football associations to take part.
He said the campaign had found willing partners in countries like Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda adding;"We have the long term support of a number of national football associations to help us to end malaria deaths.
"With FIFA and Roger Milla on board we have some powerful allies in our mission to one day end malaria deaths," he said.
A number of partners have signed up to the campaign, including global health organisations, governments, corporations and football teams ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
The bond that has developed between national malaria control programmes and national football associations is a particularly strong outcome of the UAM campaign so far and would make a strong contribution to behavioural change campaigns to reduce the malaria burden.
Malaria is a disease caused by parasites and is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.
If left untreated, the infection in its most severe forms can lead to coma and death. Malaria is preventable and treatable, but continues to kill a child every 30 seconds and overall nearly one million people each year.
Malaria contributes to the cycle of poverty and limits economic development.
United Against Malaria is a partnership of football teams and heroes, celebrities, health and advocacy organisations, governments, corporations, and individuals who have united ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa
to win the fight against malaria.
Its goal is to galvanise 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.