On the eve of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Final, Speak Up Africa (www.SpeakUpAfrica.org) convened football leaders, policymakers, global health partners, athletes, youth, media, and civil society in Rabat for the launch of Speak Up Africa in Action, its new flagship sport-for-health platform designed to accelerate polio eradication and malaria elimination across the continent.
Hosted alongside the AFCON tournament, the activation took place at a critical moment for public health. With funding volatility, competing global crises, and declining public trust threatening hard-won gains, Speak Up Africa in Action seeks to translate the reach and influence of sport into sustained political commitment, public engagement, and concrete action.
Conceived as a recurring, traveling platform embedded in major sporting and cultural moments, Speak Up Africa in Action combines high-level dialogue, immersive storytelling, athlete engagement, and youth participation. Its ambition is to elevate African-led health leadership, strengthen trust, and ensure that momentum generated on the pitch delivers 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 reinforce trust, mobilize partners, and sustain momentum where it matters most.”
Kick Out Polio: accelerating the final phase of eradication
A central focus of the AFCON activation was the Kick Out Polio campaign, implemented in partnership with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. While Africa was certified wild-polio-free in 2020, variant poliovirus outbreaks persist in several countries, making the final phase of eradication both complex and urgent.
Drawing on the values of football, teamwork, discipline, and shared responsibility, the campaign calls on governments, families, and communities to ensure every child is vaccinated. Football champions and cultural figures are lending their voices to reinforce political commitment, predictable financing, and public confidence in immunization.
“Sport speaks a language everyone understands,” said Fatma Samoura, former Secretary General of FIFA. “It unites people across borders, generations, and communities. When we harness that power for public health, especially in the final push to eradicate polio, we unlock momentum that institutions alone cannot generate. Speak Up Africa in Action shows how football can move hearts, build trust, and help protect the lives and futures of Africa’s children.”
Zero Malaria Football Club: sustaining leadership and momentum
The activation also spotlighted the Zero Malaria Football Club, an alliance of globally respected football figures mobilizing leadership and visibility to support malaria elimination across Africa. Launched in April 2023 by football legends Luís Figo and Khalilou Fadiga, the initiative supports the Zero Malaria Starts with Me movement led by the African Union Commission and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria.
Malaria remains one of Africa’s deadliest yet most preventable diseases, disproportionately affecting children under five. Against a backdrop of declining international financing, the Zero Malaria Football Club serves as a critical advocacy and mobilization tool, connecting champions, policymakers, and partners to sustain political will and unlock resources.
“Football has always been about teamwork, discipline, and finishing what we start,” said Luís Figo, former international footballer and co-captain of the Zero Malaria Football Club. “This is a match we can, and must, win.”
From major moments to lasting impact
As part of the AFCON activation, Speak Up Africa also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tibu Africa, a leading pan-African organization using sport to advance education, social inclusion, and community development. The partnership reflects Speak Up Africa in Action’s commitment to anchoring advocacy in long-term, community-based action.
By joining forces, Speak Up Africa and Tibu Africa will deepen community engagement, harness sport to build trust, and roll out joint initiatives to accelerate polio eradication and malaria elimination in close collaboration with local actors.
Throughout the event, speakers emphasized the responsibility, and opportunity, of football institutions to contribute to public health at a time when unity and trust are more critical than ever.
“Football is not only a sport, it is a social responsibility with strong social obligations,” said Hicham El Amrani, Football Expert and former Secretary General of CAF. “Using its uniting force, Federations and football institutions have a duty to protect children and communities and invest in their wellbeing. By engaging in the fight against polio and malaria, football can place its credibility, reach, and values at the service of public health and help deliver victories that matters far beyond the pitch.”
The AFCON edition marks the official launch of Speak Up Africa in Action as a recurring platform that will continue across the sports calendar, deepening partnerships, amplifying African-led health narratives, and accelerating progress on the continent’s most pressing public-health priorities.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Speak Up Africa.About Speak Up Africa:
Speak Up Africa is an advocacy organization dedicated to catalyzing African-led solutions to the continent’s most pressing public-health and development challenges. Based in Dakar and working across Africa, the organization partners with governments, civil society, research institutions, the private sector, and global initiatives to drive policy change, elevate citizen voices, and strengthen health systems.
More information: www.SpeakUpAfrica.org
