The world soccer governing body said it looks to extend the project across Africa and South America depending on the results of pilot programmes in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mauritius. FIFAs chief medical officer Jiri Dvorak last week said: The 11 for Health is based on an analysis of the top health risks factors identified by the World Health Organisation (WHO). A pilot study using football as an educational health tool was conducted throughout last year in Khayelitsha, an impoverished settlement outside Cape Town, involving children between the ages of 11 and 15.
In view of the encouraging results, the project was extended to Mauritius and Zimbabwe in January 2010. If the results are as convincing as the first pilot project, we aim to roll out The 11 for Health across Africa and South America from 2011 onwards. Through the project eleven prominent football players among them Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Nompumelelo Nyandeni, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi have each adopted a key health message addressing such important topics as having respect for girls and women, adopting a healthy diet and being diligent about washing one's hands.
FIFA said the project was necessitated by findings that lack of fitness is the number one cause of death in society. Dvorak said: A healthy and effective way of preventing this is by playing football. Recent research by the University of Copenhagen ( Denmark ) and the Swiss Federal Institute has provided scientific proof that playing football for leisure is very effective in preventing disease. After only three weeks of playing recreational football twice a week for 45 minutes, participants in the study revealed significant health benefits, including improved cardio respiratory fitness.