Since contracting malaria last year, Drogba's fight against the disease has gone from the Chelsea treatment room to the wilds of West Africa, where he is building a hospital and providing thousands of mosquito nets in an effort to cut the infection rate of one of the world's biggest killers.
There are 225 million cases a year of malaria, a mosquito-borne disease which can damage the nervous system, kidneys and liver. "I had malaria, I know exactly what it feels like and it's something that I want to stop," Drogba told Reuters on Saturday, handing out hundreds of nets bearing his face to a foundation in Thailand during Chelsea's Asian tour.
"That's why we're giving these nets to kids and people who can't afford treatment. These are good options, they're efficient and they save lives."
Drogba has been active in his native Ivory Coast in raising funds and donating his own sponsorship earnings to building a hospital in the capital Abidjan worth more than $4 million.
The 32-year-old fell ill with malaria in September but continued playing, a decision he said was foolish in retrospect and delayed his recovery.
Drogba's hospital project has been delayed due to a four-month conflict in Ivory Coast that killed thousands of people following an election intended to unite the former French colony that plunged it back into civil war.
The country is now in recovery following April's ouster by French-backed rebels of former President Laurent Gbagbo, who had refused to cede power. "The situation in Ivory Coast has meant it's difficult for people to receive treatment, but the country is trying to survive, slowly things should get back to normal," Drogba said.
"They've always been supporting me, so I really want to help them."
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