Today, during the final week of the 2012 Orange Africa Cup of Nations hosted by African countries Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) committed its support to the fight against malaria by officially endorsing the United Against Malaria (UAM) campaign. CAF’s president, Mr. Issa Hayatou, expressed his support for soccer’s role in educating fans about malaria prevention and treatment and, as part of global efforts to end malaria deaths, called on all CAF members to join UAM and raise awareness about the deadly disease. 

CAF also made a pledge to distribute educational materials at future soccer tournaments and is encouraging fellow soccer associations and players to use their voices and images in educational outreach. 

Several soccer stars competing in the tournament recently delivered malaria prevention and treatment messages in a new series of UAM PSAs that will air throughout Africa during the games. To read more about this endorsement, click here. To learn more about the new PSA series and to watch one of the videos, see this past post.