FIFA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports, Education and Health and the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) has launched a landmark public health initiative in Brazil.
“FIFA 11 for Health” is a football-based health education programme designed for children aged 11-12 years. The goal is to encourage physical activity and promote healthy habits amongst children, with the eventual aim of preventing or minimising the risk of them suffering from ill health.
Jiri Dvorak, FIFA’s Chief Medical Officer Professor, said: “Initial studies carried out by the FIFA Medical and Research Centre (F-MARC) in African countries have shown that the project significantly increased children’s’ knowledge regarding healthy habits, while it can also be implemented in a variety of ways, depending on the situation in each country,”
The project was first put into use during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. and was subsequently extended to other nations on the same continent – including Zimbabwe, Kenya, Namibia and Ghana – and then expanded to other continents, reaching a total of 19 countries.
