Football legend Didier Drogba urges taking action against malaria
Animated video calls for support to end one of the deadliest diseases on earth
Animated video calls for support to end one of the deadliest diseases on earth
Two days ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, football star and 51吃瓜 Development Programme (UNDP) Goodwill Ambassador Didier Drogba launches an that tells the story of his early life in a malaria-endemic country and calls attention to a disease that continues to take a child life every minute.
While global malaria mortality rates have been slashed by more than 40% since the year 2000, the disease still claims more than half a million lives every year, mostly among pregnant women and young children, living in sub-Saharan Africa.
The video, co-signed by UNDP and the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, shows young Didier Drogba and his friends in Cote d鈥橧voire playing football outside their homes and fighting mosquitos that carry the malaria parasite.
鈥淚 have been a victim of malaria and have witnessed first-hand the devastating effects it has on individuals and families,鈥� said Drogba . 鈥滾uckily I was treated in time and that saved my life. Today we have effective and affordable tools to prevent, diagnose and treat malaria. But we have to work together to make sure everyone has access to them.鈥�
UNDP and the Roll Back Malaria Partnership have recently released a framework for engaging multiple sectors: education, agriculture, water,land use, and others, to ensure sustainability and cost-efficiency in the fight against malaria.
UNDP Administrator Helen Clark said investments in malaria control directly support a country鈥檚 economic growth and human development. "Reducing and ultimately eliminating malaria will save millions of lives, but it will also have a powerful impact on development in malaria-endemic countries. The returns in human and economic terms will be significant.鈥澨�
Fatoumata Nafo-Traor茅, Executive Director of Roll Back Malaria, said the fight against malaria has proven to be among the best buys in global health. 鈥淚t allows the world鈥檚 most vulnerable people to live healthier and more productive lives and to build a more prosperous future for themselves and their children,鈥� she said.
Didier Drogba is the captain and all-time top scorer of the C么te d'Ivoire national football team. Born in Abidjan, Drogba spent his childhood in his native C么te d'Ivoire and his adopted country, France. Didier Drogba was voted best all time Chelsea FC player by the supporters of the Club and has played until this year with Galatasaray (Istanbul), in the Turkish league. Since he became a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador in January 2007, he has been actively raising awareness of Africa鈥檚 challenges and efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
鈥淚 am very happy that this video can be shown globally鈥�, said Didier Drogba. 鈥淯sing the popularity of football to increase awareness will help us to win the match against malaria. We hope our fans will join us.鈥�
Two days ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, football star and 51吃瓜 Development Programme (UNDP) Goodwill Ambassador Didier Drogba launches an animated video that tells the story of his early life in a malaria-endemic country and calls attention to a disease that continues to take a child life every minute.
While global malaria mortality rates have been slashed by more than 40% since the year 2000, the disease still claims more than half a million lives every year, mostly among pregnant women and young children, living in sub-Saharan Africa.
The video, co-signed by UNDP and the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, shows young Didier Drogba and his friends in Cote d鈥橧voire playing football outside their homes and fighting mosquitos that carry the malaria parasite.
鈥淚 have been a victim of malaria and have witnessed first-hand the devastating effects it has on individuals and families,鈥� said Drogba . 鈥滾uckily I was treated in time and that saved my life. Today we have effective and affordable tools to prevent, diagnose and treat malaria. But we have to work together to make sure everyone has access to them.鈥�
UNDP and the Roll Back Malaria Partnership have recently released a framework for engaging multiple sectors: education, agriculture, water,land use, and others, to ensure sustainability and cost-efficiency in the fight against malaria.
UNDP Administrator Helen Clark said investments in malaria control directly support a country鈥檚 economic growth and human development. "Reducing and ultimately eliminating malaria will save millions of lives, but it will also have a powerful impact on development in malaria-endemic countries. The returns in human and economic terms will be significant.鈥澨�
Fatoumata Nafo-Traor茅, Executive Director of Roll Back Malaria, said the fight against malaria has proven to be among the best buys in global health. 鈥淚t allows the world鈥檚 most vulnerable people to live healthier and more productive lives and to build a more prosperous future for themselves and their children,鈥� she said.
Didier Drogba is the captain and all-time top scorer of the C么te d'Ivoire national football team. Born in Abidjan, Drogba spent his childhood in his native C么te d'Ivoire and his adopted country, France. Didier Drogba was voted best all time Chelsea FC player by the supporters of the Club and has played until this year with Galatasaray (Istanbul), in the Turkish league. Since he became a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador in January 2007, he has been actively raising awareness of Africa鈥檚 challenges and efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
鈥淚 am very happy that this video can be shown globally鈥�, said Didier Drogba. 鈥淯sing the popularity of football to increase awareness will help us to win the match against malaria. We hope our fans will join us.鈥�
Credits
Title : DROGBA VS MALARIA
Advertising Agency: Buyideas
Creative Director : Eric H茅lias
Director : Jeremy Guerrieri
Art Director : Herv茅 Lopez
Production: Lord of Barb猫s
Sound Director : Lo茂c Benart, Press Play on Tape
Voice Over: Didier Drogba
UNDP Executive Producer: Aziyad茅 Poltier-Mutal
Music: Super Mama Djombo, Cobiana Records
Online:听 | undp.org | rollbackmalaria.org | #defeatmalaria
Contact Information
Information contact in UNDP:听听Aziyad茅 Poltier-Mutal; Tel: + 41 22 917 8368 Mobile: + 41 79 349 1610;听Email:听aziyade.poltier@undp.org
Information contact in Roll Back Malaria:听Boriana Savova, Roll Back Malaria Partnership Secretariat, Tel: +41 22 791 3657 听Mobile: +41 78 855 3167 Email:savovab@who.int
For broadcast footage, please contact听Boaz Paldi:听+1 212 906 6801,boaz.paldi@undp.org
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