Didier Drogba is a household name around the world. In Ivory Coast, he is regarded as superman; perhaps more respected than either Laurent Gbagbo or Alassane Ouattara. In England he is revered. On the internet, he is a source of traffic. Globally, 550,000 people search the name “Drogba” on Google each month; 60,000 searches in the US, 74,000 searches in the United Kingdom where he is based. Last year, the no-nonsense Ivory Coast striker scored 37 goals in all competitions for his English club, Chelsea FC. His side won the English Premiership League title for 2010.
But Drogba had a nasty interaction with a well-known insect in the fall of 2010 and since then the hitman has never been the same. He was bitten by a mosquito and contracted malaria, a disease that afflicts up to 400 million people worldwide each year.
The economic consequences of Drogba’s malaria are widespread. This year the Ivorian has netted only 10 goals for Chelsea. To recap, the Drogba scored 37 goals last season, even after missing about three weeks due to the African Cup of Nations (ANC) in Angola and several other games due to injury. The striker’s fiery supremacy is shattered. Goalkeepers do not seem to worry much about Drogba’s strikes this season as they did last year.
Malaria’s impact on Africa is enormous. In Sub-Saharan Africa, a child dies from malaria every 30-40 seconds. Premature deaths and sagging national productivity are often the offspring of a tiny mosquito’s assault. In college, I wrote my final chemistry examination at the University Hospital, Legon, with a policeman standing behind my shoulders just in case I made any attempt to cheat. I was under a severe malaria attack, shivering like crazy. I’m lucky to be alive. Drogba is alive and I’m 100% sure he will make a come-back in a big way. Hundreds of thousands of children, men and women, aren’t always as lucky as I was. By the time I finish writing this piece, a handful more children will be gone due to malaria.
I cannot say that Didier Drogba’s performance this season can be fully attributed to the malaria he contracted; in any case, the contribution would be significant. Could you just imagine how many children will never accomplish their dreams in life as a result of a disease that I, still, believe is preventable and eradicable?
It is time to show malaria the Red Card. Each one of us can help.
By the way, do you know that if you follow a link from TalkAfrique to buy anything at Amazon
Surprising that a child dies of malaria every 30 seconds and it’s not breaking news. And one person dies of H1N1 flu in the US and its a BREAKING NEWS
I’ve never actually thought about Drogba’s malaria as a possible cause for chelsea troubles, but you could be right. In any case, our generation must vow to stamp out malaria
Hymmm, I probably wouldn’t have read the article if the title was just Malaria. but I bet you, I’ve read it 4 times already. A great one