PRESS ABOUT DRIVE AGAINST MALARIA

BACK TO PRESS ABOUT DRIVE AGAINST MALARIA

HANDICAPPED DAVID ROBERTSON ARRIVES IN DURBAN ON DRIVE AGAINST MALARIA
THURSDAY 18 MARCH 1999

WEEKEND ARGUS - Cape Town: David Robertson, 40, arrived in Durban in his Land Rover on Wednesday afternoon to mark his tour - Drive Against Malaria - aimed at raising awareness for the fight against malaria.

Robertson, who lost his right leg and arm in a motorbike accident in 1977, undertook the endeavour to raise awareness and funds for malaria.

He is on course to break the current world record of 482000 kilometres driven through different countries in a single vehicle in combating malaria.

He has already travelled through 67 countries in the world and over the next months, his journey will take him through various countries in Southern Africa.

Robertson would be visiting many countries affected by malaria, as well as hospitals and research institutes where Malaria Foundation International affiliated scientists work on disease projects.

During his tour, he will distribute information provided by the MFI and its partners engaged in the Roll Back Malaria initiative being coordinated by the World Health Organisation.

People in remote areas would be able to speak to the world about malaria through his state of the art communication equipment.

Robertson was once infected with malaria while on a journey through Kenya.

"Around me, I saw the misery this disease causes, the many victims, especially young children. While recovering I decided to raise money for health, education and medicine," he said.

Robertson would be the sole driver for the entire journey and would be accompanied by assistants who would navigate and help with video filming and writing a journal.

Robertson's arrival in Durban coincided with the African malaria conference organised by the medical research council of South Africa and the Wellcome Trust.