Kwesi Nyantakyi, President of the Ghana Football Association
(GFA) has tasked corporate bodies and individuals to support the fight against
Malaria and all who are involved in football to show the killer of future stars
the red card.
Speaking as the chairman of a special media event to
sensitize journalists on malaria, he urged the selected few for the programme
to come out and spread the news that malaria can prevent a team from performing
well or winning.
The event which took place a day before Ghana’s clash with
Malawi for qualification to the AFCON 2013 at the Football House in Accra
attracted over 30 participants who heard presentations from experts in malaria
prevention and control.
Nyantakyi noted that the GFA cares for the Black Stars and
all the national teams and as such always try to prevent players and officials
from sickness and diseases.
“Ladies and gentlemen; the GFA cares for the people of Ghana
and would support worthy courses such as the fight to reduce the burden malaria
places on us and its impact on productivity. After all we need healthy
malaria-free players to win every game we play,” he said.
The Ghana football chief suggested that the Football World
Cup 2010 in South Africa and Brazil 2014 should serve as final springboard to
achieving total reduction of malaria deaths to the near zero targets set by the
Roll Back Malaria Partnership.
“Ladies and gentlemen; you will agree with me that malaria
deserves a red card in this game of life and should surely become a non
opponent in the next few years. I still stand by that assertion,” Mr. Nyantakyi
expressed.
He reported that in November 2011, when the Global Fund for
HIV/AIDS was handed a very high recognition of its performance in supporting
malaria control activities, he was given the singular honour of presenting to
the Global Fund a cheque for $150,000 on behalf of United Against Malaria (UAM)
partnerships as funds raised during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa to
support malaria control activities.
Mr. Nyantakyi emphasized that the GFA’s roles in supporting
malaria are endless and advised people to sleep in mosquito nets like he does
always.
He also charged other football organized bodies like GHALCA
which represents over 30,000 local players to join in the life saving campaign
to disseminate important malaria prevention and treatment messages in our
communities throughout the country.
Others who addressed the gathering were Emmanuel Fiagbe,
Country Director of John Hopkins University Center for Communication Programms,
Dr. Kezia Malm, Deputy Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme,
Professor Isabella Kwakye, a renowned Malarialogist and Rosemary Ardayfio of
the Graphic Communications Group.
Some of the media houses represented were Daily Graphic,
Ghanaian Times, The Finder, GBC, Metro TV, TV3, TV Africa, Multi Media and
Global Media.
The Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) were
represented by yours truly Sammy Heywood Okine, Deputy General Secretary,
Administrative
Officers Gabby Mensah and Fiifi Sey, Helga Gokah of the Tide Newspaper and
Prince Dornu-Leiku of the 90 MINUTES Newspaper and www.sportsinghana.com,
an internet site that features interesting sports news on Ghana and Ghanaians.
The theme of the programme was, Partnership for Malaria:
Responding to the needs for improved malaria prevention and treatment in Ghana.
Some stars directly involved in the promos for the campaign
are schemer Dede Ayew, striker Asamoah Gyan, the Tornado Stephen Appiah, who
led the Black Stars to two World Cups and the Boison Michael Essien who has
been signed by top Spanish club Real Madrid recently.