Senegalese Singer Leads Fight Against Malaria

Youssou N'Dour kicked off the "Surround Sound : Senegal" campaign with a concert in Guediwaye, one of two Dakar suburbs targeted for mosquito net distribution, 20 Jun 2009Despite being preventable and treatable, malaria kills more Africanchildren than any other disease. Senegalese superstar, Youssou N'Dour,has teamed up with an American nonprofit to turn the tide on thisdevastating disease through pop music.

The most recent release by international singingsensation, Youssou N'Dour, tells the story of a man whose girlfriendhas left him because he got malaria. As he seeks sympathy from membersof the community, they tell him it is all his fault. He should haveprotected himself by sleeping under a treated mosquito net.

Thesong, whose title, "Xeex Sibburu," means "Fight Malaria," is the resultof a collaboration between the Youssou N'Dour Foundation and U.S.-basednonprofit, "Malaria No More."

The two-year initiative is called"Surround Sound : Senegal." It is part of Malaria No More's uniquemission to apply marketing techniques from the private sector to thehumanitarian fight to end malaria deaths worldwide. Youssou N'Dour,they say, is arguably the best local marketer in West Africa.
Leading cause of death in children

Malariakills about one million people annually, and nine out of 10 of them areAfricans. Pregnant women and children are the most vulnerable to thedisease, and it is estimated that every 30 seconds a child dies ofmalaria. Malaria also impedes economic development and is one of themajor contributors to poverty in Africa.

Martin Edlund isMalaria No More's Senegal Project Director. Though the tools to treat,prevent and eventually eradicate malaria exist, he says too manyAfricans simply accept the disease as a fact of life. Therefore,mobilizing communities is key.

"That is the point of thissong," he said. "The chorus is Bul ñu ray, which essentially meansno more excuses, and Youssou is saying we all know this problem, we allknow what causes it and we all know how to prevent it, so there are nomore excuses it is time to take care of it as a society. "

Thanksto rapid diagnostic testing and government-led awareness campaigns,Senegal reported dramatic drops in malaria mortality earlier this yearbut the disease is still a leading cause of death in children.

A girl sits outside of a distribution center in Pikine, holding the treated mosquito nets her family received as part of the health ministry's distribution campaignMusic - powerful tool

Asthe song was released last week, Senegal's Health Ministry and itsinternational partners launched a campaign to distribute two millioninsecticide-treated mosquito nets nationwide. The goal of the week-longeffort was to get every child under age five sleeping under a net. Thesong was also distributed to radio stations and 1300 health huts aroundthe country.

Edlund says the song was created to inspire agrassroots, community-led education effort and reinforce the work ofSenegalese health workers.

"They are telling us what works herein Senegal, what they have seen for 25 years works in marketing to thevillage level with music, and now applying that to malaria, so thesong, Xeex Sibburu, is in Wolof," he said.

"It is alsorecorded in Sereer and Pulaar, the second and third most popularlanguages, here in Senegal, is the starting point. It is a statementof purpose and a challenge to all sectors of Senegalese society to getinvolved and fight malaria. That is what Xeex Sibburu means in Wolof,"he added.

Pikine was one of two Dakar suburbs targeted in thecampaign. It is a poor, overcrowded neighborhood whose sandy streetsare notorious for flooding during the rainy season, making them idealbreeding grounds for mosquitos.

As part of last week's campaign,health workers rented an SUV and drove it through the neighborhoodswith the song blaring from speakers mounted on top. Volunteers wentdoor-to-door handing out coupons for free mosquito nets and givingvitamin-A supplements and deworming medicine to children.

Dr. Abdou Karim Diop is the chief medical officer for Pikine. He says response to the song has been overwhelmingly positive.

Hesays the song is a welcome tool because it reinforces the distributionefforts and the awareness campaign. A particularly positive factor isthat the song was recorded in so many languages, therefore a lot ofpeople can identify with it. He says people really love the song.

YoussouN'Dour says music is a powerful educational tool in Africa, and hispopularity has given him both a responsibility and an opportunity toeffect change.

He says he feels he can do more than music. Hesees all the problems that people experience in Senegal, and if hethinks he can bring something to an issue, he does it. He believespeople now need other sources, besides just politicians, to see thattheir issues are being recognized. Though he is happy to do it, hesays he plans to remain just a musician who is involved in activism.  

YoussouN'Dour says malaria is a reality of everyday life in Senegal, but itdoes not have to be. Once malaria is under control, he says thestrategies developed in this Surround Sound campaign can be applied toother issues.