Showing Malaria a Red Card

David McCormick

The World Cup is in full swing and although the only remaining African team was knocked out by the most blatant display of poor sportsmanship I think I’ve ever seen, it’s still the most popular event on TV and one of the main topics of conservation here in Blantyre. For many Malawians, the World Cup may be the only TV event that they  have seen in a few months and they may not see another TV event for a while (“exciting” is not a word I’d use to describe the regularly scheduled programming on Malawi’s only TV station).  Public health officials are taking full advantage of this situation and a constant feature of the broadcasts is a small band of text at the bottom of the screen encouraging the viewers to use the mosquito nets and visit the health clinics if they suspect that they or a family member might have malaria.  To drive the point home, the half-time analysts usually wear shirts with the local “Roll Back Malaria” logo.

Malaria is a major problem in Malawi – it’s not uncommon for a child to suffer from the disease 4-5 times in a single year and it is one of the leading causes of mortality in children under 5.  Although there are some effective preventive measures and treatments available, people must visit a clinic before they take advantage of them.  Visiting a clinic can be expensive – the visit itself is free, but the wait can be as long as 8 hours to see a doctor, and if you have to wait that long that means missing out on a day of work.

One small problem with this campaign is that the notices are only in English.  Although all Malawians learn English in school, it’s certainly possible that these messages would reach more people if they were also presented in Chichewa, the dominant native language. Other than this small quibble, I think it’s great that officials are using the World Cup as an opportunity to bring important public health messages to as many people as possible.

In a Soccer State of Mind

Danielle Lepar

After work yesterday, I decided to mix up my usual Tuesday routine- it doesn’t take a whole lot- and venture downtown Ann Arbor.  I didn’t check the World Cup schedule before I left, but I had my fingers crossed that a game would be on.  As I walked into a pub, I was happy to be greeted by a slew of brightly colored soccer jerseys and even a few flags. Most people were clad in red and yellow, but I spotted a few traces of green as well.  Spain was playing Portugal.  Considering the less than even ratio of fans in the room, it was probably a good thing Spain won. (Although post-game analysis revealed the sole goal-scorer was actually offsides. A huge upset for Portugal.)

After enjoying my post-game high, despite my lack of enduring investment in either team, I stumbled upon a USA Today article that talked about the effects of watching sports on mental health.  I thought that this clip spoke to the- often surprising- interconnectedness of health issues and other topics, which was  highlighted in a previous blog.  In public health, looking carefully at this interconnectedness often brings to light health risks.  While this is undoubtedly important,  I feel like health assets aren’t always given enough attention.

The article points out that those who watch sports, particularly fans who are committed to a specific team, experience a heightened sense of social support and camaraderie.  Whether you’re a well seasoned fan or like me- happy to cheer for a random team and slap hands with strangers- you reap the benefits of being connected to a greater social network.  As an added bonus, fans of a winning team experience a boost in their own self-esteem as well.  And while it’s true that we can’t always be winners, those who stick by their teams take pride in their loyalty and can empathize with other die hards. On a larger scale, events like the World Cup can bring countries together to deliver social justice, health promotion, and other positive messages and efforts to a large population. 

So if it’s futbol or football that gets you going, get out, catch a game, and make some new pals! (And, of course, kick the ball around a little yourself too.)

HIV and soccer

 

Valentina Stackl

 

I just read an article on CNN.com about HIV and soccer (You can find it here). Now, having been a student at U of M for long enough I have learned that everything is interconnected and that, especially in health, pretty much everything affects everything else. Even soccer and HIV. 

The article proposed that prostitution should be decriminalized in the months leading up to and during the duration of the world cup in South Africa to better access sex workers, half of whom are estimated to be HIV positive. 

Half a million fans are expected to flock to South Africa for the world cup, inevitably increasing the demand for sexual transactions. While years of education about HIV transmission among sex workers in South Africa have increased their positive sexual health practices, such as condom use, often times the clients are the ones who refuse to wear a condom. Sex workers often times don’t feel confident enough to negotiate for condoms.

Some AIDS groups are lobbying for decriminalization of prostitution in hope that it will protect both the sex workers and their clients by increasing condom use and regulating those workers who test positive for HIV and STIs. This, of course is not a perfect system, since HIV positive sex workers who are driven to prostitution due to poverty might still engage in sex for money while the clients might have a false sense of security due to increased regulations of prostitution overall. 

Anyway, I am not sure what the solution is, but decriminalizing and regulating sex work, while providing adequate services for those sex workers who test positive, is definitely a start. 

Also, I wish everyone a happy, healthy, productive and exciting new year!