Footballers vs. Malaria

Sumitomo Chemical has partnered with the Roll Back Malaria Partnership and the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria to help communicate the risks of malaria to Africans along with the benefits of proper prevention. Internet versions of these Public Service Announcements are now posted in French, English, Yoruba, Fan and Ingala.

Twelve international footballers with African origins have recorded a total of 18 public service announcements in French, English and ethnic languages Ingala, Yoruba and Fan.

The clips feature the footballers' personal testimony about suffering from malaria themselves and are interspersed with footage from professional football matches.

By engaging African celebrities to speak directly to African communities about the dangers of malaria, the Public Service Announcement campaign aims to provide a vital tool to malaria control programs. The football stars are heroes not only in their own countries, but across Africa, where their international success makes them emblems of hope. Speaking in their own words, the footballers' authenticity brings to bear a powerful influence to provide protection for those most at risk of becoming malaria victims.