October 27, 2015 By Sahr Morris Jr.
Former Cameroon and Barcelonan forward, Samuel Eto’o, will be among a FIFA team led by the football world governing body’s Chief Medical Officer, Prof. Jiří Dvořák, to visit Sierra Leone this October.
According to the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), the Cameroonian superstar will promote the ‘FIFA 11 for Health’ programme – an important FIFA campaign that seeks to inspire healthy lifestyles through football and education for girls and boys.
“The ‘FIFA 11 for Health’ programme 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,” said a press statement from the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA). “It provides guidance to help tackle the most frequent causes of diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, diabetes and obesity.”
The FIFA delegation and Eto’o will be conducting site visits to communities affected by Ebola and evaluating the effectiveness of the emergency campaign – ‘11 Against Ebola’.
The campaign was put together last year by FIFA and the World Bank, using the strength of the voices of world famous players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba and Neymar to inform the local population about important measures that could be taken in order to avoid contact with the Ebola virus.
It is also stated that Eto’o will use his two-day visit in Sierra Leone to interact with vulnerable communities, especially children affected by the Ebola epidemic, while also using the opportunity to communicate health preservation messages in communities and schools.
Eto’o said: “I’m the proof that football has the power to inspire a healthier world. 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.”