Following several years when families and friends mourned their dead due to the malaria disease, campaigns have come up to whip the killer disease out of the communities.

In the Ugandan community, the fight against malaria has been taken to the pitch with a footballing tournament, the U-13 tournament, as a campaign strategy dubbed "United Against Malaria."

Presiding over the official launch of the tournament in Jinja last weekend, FUFA CEO Edgar Watson said this tournament is a true representation of a good cause that will not only go a long way to whip at the incidence of  the malaria disease in the country but will also help the federation identify young and healthy football talents for the future Cranes.

"The malaria disease is indiscriminatory; it affects the young, the old and the elderly. So the tournament will help send out a message to everybody that the fight is now on against malaria. The tournament will as well  help us identify and develop a healthy football talent," Watson said.

According to the organizers, the tournament will also create a lasting impression in the minds of the children, parents and well wishers as the public comes to enjoy and participate in the matches in a  show of support for the United against Malaria campaign.

"Fufa decided to rally behind this campaign because it's a noble cause. So I call upon the public to champion it with us," Watson added.

United against Malaria project coordinator Kenneth Mulondo remarks that in hosting the tournament, UAM intends to constantly remind the public about the strategies of prevention and  treatment of the disease as well as to educate the public attending the matches about malaria.  
 
The tournament kicked-off in Jinja at Kakindu stadium, will shift to Masaka, Luweero and other districts and then have a grand finale in Mbarara in the next two months.

At the end of the campaign,  the Uganda community is expected to be in a better position to limit the incidence of cases of malaria attacks because  the UAM sensitization campaign also focuses on advising people to  sleep under mosquito nets as a preventative measure.

Iganga football youths are the first finalists after they beat hosts Jinja 5-4 on penalty shoot-outs. They will represent Nile region in Mbarara at the finals. This weekend on Sunday, the event will be hosted at Old Kampala S.S.

The tournament campaign is organized by United Against Malaria (UAM) in collaboration with Friends of Football (FOF). blog comments powered by Disqus

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