From the Pitch to Public Health: Speak Up Africa Unveils New Flagship Platform at AFCON
On the eve of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Final, Speak Up Africa convened football leaders, policymakers, global health partners, 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 the continent.
Timed alongside one of Africa’s most powerful sporting moments, the launch comes at a critical juncture for public health. Funding uncertainty, competing global crises and declining public trust threaten hard-won progress against preventable diseases. Speak Up Africa in Action is designed to harness the influence and unifying power of sport to translate visibility into sustained political commitment, public engagement and tangible action.
Conceived as a recurring, traveling platform embedded within major sporting and cultural events, Speak Up Africa in Action blends high-level dialogue, immersive storytelling, athlete advocacy and youth participation. Its goal is to elevate African-led health leadership, strengthen public trust and ensure that momentum generated on the pitch delivers measurable impact 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 these strengths together, using the power of sport to mobilize partners, reinforce trust and sustain momentum where it matters most.”
Kick Out Polio: Driving the Final Push
A central pillar of the AFCON activation was Kick Out Polio, a campaign implemented in partnership with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. While Africa was certified free of wild poliovirus in 2020, outbreaks of variant poliovirus continue in several countries, making the final phase of eradication both urgent and complex.
Drawing on football’s values of teamwork, discipline and shared responsibility, the campaign calls on governments, families and communities to ensure every child is vaccinated. Football champions and cultural leaders are lending their voices to reinforce political commitment, predictable financing and public confidence in immunisation.
“Sport speaks a language everyone understands,” said Fatma Samoura, former Secretary General of FIFA. “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 build trust, mobilize action and protect the futures of Africa’s children.”
Zero Malaria Football Club: Sustaining Leadership and Visibility
The activation also highlighted the Zero Malaria Football Club, a coalition of globally respected football figures mobilizing leadership and visibility to advance malaria elimination efforts 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.
Despite being preventable and treatable, malaria remains one of Africa’s deadliest diseases, disproportionately affecting children under five. As international financing declines, the Zero Malaria Football Club plays a vital role in sustaining political will, advocacy and resource mobilization.
“Football is 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 Community Impact
As part of the AFCON activation, Speak Up Africa signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tibu Africa, a leading pan-African organisation using sport to advance education, social inclusion and community development. The partnership underscores Speak Up Africa in Action’s commitment to anchoring advocacy in long-term, community-based initiatives.
Together, Speak Up Africa and Tibu Africa will deepen grassroots engagement, harness sport to build trust and roll out joint programmes to accelerate polio eradication and malaria elimination in close collaboration with local communities.
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,” said Hicham El Amrani, Football Expert and 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 help deliver victories that matter far beyond the pitch.”
The AFCON edition marks the official launch of Speak Up Africa in Action as an ongoing platform that will continue across the global sports calendar, strengthening partnerships, amplifying African-led health leadership and accelerating progress on the continent’s most pressing public health priorities.
