Soccer is the world’s favorite sport. With nothing more than a ball and a little teamwork, it is played by millions  in the United States and Africa alike.

The More Than a Club: Kick it to Malaria program embraces soccer to unite the world against malaria.

Malaria is the number one killer of children in Africa. Transmitted by a mosquito bite, it kills a child every 30 seconds. Malaria was eradicated in the United States in 1951, but is still a huge problem—especially in Africa. The disease is so devastating and sudden that a child who is playing soccer with his friends in the morning can be dead by nightfall. But it doesn’t have to be this way: a simple $10 bed net can save a life.

 

FC Barecelona and AYSO ring the opening bell at the NY Stock Exchange | 8/5/08

Defeating malaria requires teamwork. That’s why the world’s premier soccer team, Fútbol Club Barcelona (FCB) and Malaria No More are teaming up to send malaria off the field for good.

Through the More Than a Club: Kick it to Malaria program, FC Barcelona invites enthusiasts around the world to join them in fighting malaria.

Malaria is a disease of the blood that is caused by a parasite transmitted from person to person by certain types of mosquitoes. Malaria symptoms, which appear about 9 to 14 days after the infectious mosquito bite, include fever, headache, vomiting and other flu-like symptoms. If drugs are not available for treatment or if the parasites are resistant to them, the infection can lead to coma, severe life-threatening anemia, and death by infecting and destroying red blood cells and by clogging the capillaries that carry blood to the brain (cerebral malaria) or other vital organs. Worldwide, malaria causes around 350 to 500 million illnesses and more than one million deaths annually.

Malaria is particularly devastating in Africa, where it kills an African child every 30 seconds. Many children who survive an episode of severe malaria may suffer from learning impairments or brain damage. Pregnant women and their unborn children are also particularly vulnerable to malaria, which, during pregnancy, is a major cause of mortality, low birth weight and maternal anemia. And while we know malaria is preventable, the lack of resources, coupled with a climate very hospitable to the deadliest strain of malaria, has made the disease a leading cause of death among African children.

 

Learn more about malaria >>

 

FC Barcelona is based in the Catalan city of Barcelona and plays its home games at "Camp Nou," the largest stadium in Europe. Few clubs have won as many titles as Fútbol Club Barcelona: two European Cups, four Cup Winners Cups, two European Super Cup trophies, three Inter-Cities Fairs Cups, 18 La Liga championships, 24 Copa del Rey, and 11 Supercopa de España. Barça's "més que un club" (more than a club) slogan is demonstrated in part through the club's philanthropy, and the team is proud to join Malaria No More in the fight against malaria in Africa. Learn more about FC Barcelona...

 

 

Malaria No More's mission is simple: to end deaths due to malaria. The world has known how to beat this disease for more than a century, yet it remains the number one killer of children under five in Africa, claiming more than 1 million lives a year. Malaria No More works to raise the profile of the disease among the public, policymakers, and businesses, while engaging the private sector to provide life-saving bed nets and other critical interventions to families in Africa. Learn more about Malaria No More...

 

 

The FC Barcelona Foundation's XICS programs promote access to education, health care and sports to youth around the world. XICS (International Network of Solidarity Centers) are not soccer schools, but extracurricular programs that use sports to encourage cooperation, healthy living and social skills. XICS programs work closely with local charities to make a difference in the lives of children in their communities.

In Africa, where the malaria crisis is at its most severe, XICS programs are operating in Mali, Morocco, Senegal and Burkina Faso. Children living in extreme poverty in these countries learn valuable lessons at their local XICS, including information on how to protect themselves against malarial mosquitoes. With on-the-ground partners like XICS, soccer can help save lives.

For more information about the FC Barcelona Foundation's XICS programs, click here.