ACCRA, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- The fourth leg of the FIFA '11 for health' program has been launched in Accra on Tuesday.
FIFA approved Ghana as the first country in the world for the 4th edition of the program that trains kids in school to avoid health problems through various football drills.
The program has so far covered 500 schools across Ghana with 1,000 teachers and about 30,000 students having gone through the training program, according the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
FIFA Medical chief Prof. Jiri Dvorak and Cameroon superstar Samuel Eto'o visited the Kotobabi "3" Junior High School (JHS) and Alajo "3" JHS in Accra where they filmed the "FIFA 11 for health" sessions 5 and 6 respectively.
Known for his philanthropic and humanitarian work, Eto'o, Africa's most decorated player, used this opportunity to communicate health preservation messages to the school kids.
"Football is the pleasure of being together and a safe way to improve health. To stay fit you have to be disciplined and discipline is a great tool to educate young people about a healthier lifestyle," Eto'o said.
The FIFA 11 for Health campaign uses football to help improve children's knowledge, attitudes and behavior towards vital health issues, has been a significant success in many African nations since being introduced ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The program embraces the power of football and scientific research to inspire a healthier world and better health among young people, so that they can live life to the full.
It provides guidance to help tackle the most frequent causes of diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, diabetes and obesity.