We are happy to use whatever influence we can during these Games to encourage people around the world to confront the issue. South Africa is not affected by malaria in the same way as other African countries, but as African athletes we feel it is important to support Roll Back Malaria. We want to do whatever we can. Alison Dare, South African hockey ace. Roll Back Malaria was set up in 1998 by WHO and other partners including United Nations agencies, governments, development banks, bilateral development agencies, non-governmental organizations, civil society and individuals at the request of African countries, as they searched for increased progress in malaria control.
Olympic athletes are the latest to support the movement.
After the Olympics, Roll Back Malaria plans to involve athletes in activities to mark the first Africa Malaria Day on 25 April 2001. Roll Back Malaria seeks to increase the numbers of people with access to effective malaria interventions, improving both prevention and treatment and also supporting research into better drugs and a possible vaccine. It aims to halve malaria deaths by 2010. Malaria can be prevented by the use of mosquito nets or by taking anti-malarial drugs. Support for the RBM Olympic initiative has come from the mission chiefs of the National Olympic Committees for Ethiopia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania.