Messi advocates for fight against Chagas disease
09 April 2014 AFP, Washington
Barcelona's four-time world player of the year Lionel Messi is a leading supporter of the fight against the spread of Chagas disease which currently infects six to eight million people.
The 26-year-old Argentinian is featured in a video, which was released in conjunction with Monday's World Health Day, which calls for more resources and drugs to combat Chagas disease, which is transmitted by a biting insect and is mainly found in the Americas.
"Millions of children and adults suffer from it worldwide, and in many cases they die," Messi said. "To combat it we need more resources and more medications."
The Argentinian national captain calls for more awareness of the disease so that people at risk of being infected will get tested and treated.
