WASHINGTON, DC — The world’s most popular sport, soccer, could become the driving force in the fight against malaria 2010. In the lead up to World Malaria Day 2010, United Against Malaria (UAM), a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation supported partnership of soccer teams, celebrities, global health organizations, governments, corporations and public citizens, is harnessing the power of soccer to unite the malaria community across the globe.
As communities around the world rally behind their favorite teams, ahead of this summer’s FIFA World Cup™ finals, which will be played on African soil for the first time, global soccer stars and their federations are inspiring a unique team of health, social and corporate champions to join them in the UAM campaign and score the ultimate goal – eliminating malaria deaths by 2015. The first critical step is reaching the United Nations target of universal access to mosquito nets and malaria medicine in Africa by the end of 2010.
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Voluntary Pooled Procurement in Uganda: Pooling Resources to Get Nets to People in Need. Every 30 seconds, a child dies due to malaria. Worldwide, 3.3 billion people are at risk. In Uganda, the story is no different.
In May 2008, a coordinated partnership led by the Government of Southern Sudan, with the support of PSI, initiated the delivery of over 1 million long lasting insecticide treated mosquito nets (LLINs) to women and children across 2 states. Photojournalist Jenn Warren traveled to Sudan to record this great success story.
PSI Ambassador Molly Sims, soccer star Landon Donova, Ted Turner and others are United Against Malaria.