AFCON Hosts New Platform to Tackle Polio and Malaria
On the eve of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Final, Speak Up Africa convened football leaders, policymakers, athletes, youth, media, and civil society in Rabat to launch Speak Up Africa in Action, a new flagship sport-for-health platform aimed at accelerating polio eradication and malaria elimination across Africa.
Held alongside AFCON, the activation comes at a critical juncture for public health, with fluctuating funding, global crises, and declining public trust threatening progress. The platform seeks to harness the influence of sport to strengthen political commitment, engage communities, and translate visibility into measurable health outcomes.
Conceived as a recurring, travelling initiative embedded in major sporting and cultural events, Speak Up Africa in Action combines high-level dialogue, immersive storytelling, athlete engagement, and youth participation. Its goal is to elevate African-led health leadership, rebuild trust, and ensure that momentum generated on the pitch delivers tangible results in communities.
“Africa has the leadership, credibility, and community trust needed to end polio and malaria,” said Yacine Djibo, Founder and Executive Director of Speak Up Africa. “Speak Up Africa in Action brings those strengths together, using the power of sport to mobilise partners and sustain momentum where it matters most.”
A central focus of the AFCON launch was the Kick Out Polio campaign, implemented with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. While Africa was certified wild-polio-free in 2020, variant poliovirus outbreaks remain in some countries, making the final phase of eradication urgent. Football champions and cultural figures are advocating for vaccination, political commitment, and public confidence in immunisation.
“Sport speaks a language everyone understands,” said Fatma Samoura, former FIFA Secretary General. “When we harness that power for public health, especially in the final push to eradicate polio, we unlock momentum that institutions alone cannot generate.”
The event also highlighted the Zero Malaria Football Club, an alliance of globally recognised football figures mobilising support for malaria elimination. Launched in 2023 by Luís Figo and Khalilou Fadiga, the initiative supports the Zero Malaria Starts with Me movement led by the African Union and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria. Malaria remains one of Africa’s deadliest yet preventable diseases, disproportionately affecting children under five.
“Football has always been about teamwork, discipline, and finishing what we start,” said Luís Figo, co-captain of the Zero Malaria Football Club. “This is a match we can, and must, win.”
In addition, Speak Up Africa signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tibu Africa, a pan-African organisation promoting education, social inclusion, and community development through sport. The partnership will enhance community engagement and roll out joint initiatives to accelerate polio eradication and malaria elimination.
“Football is not only a sport; it is a social responsibility,” said Hicham El Amrani, former Secretary General of CAF. “By engaging in the fight against polio and malaria, football can place its credibility, reach, and values at the service of public health and deliver victories far beyond the pitch.”
The AFCON edition marks the official launch of Speak Up Africa in Action as a recurring platform, designed to deepen partnerships, amplify African-led health narratives, and accelerate progress on the continent’s most pressing public-health priorities.
