The GFA and Fifa took a giant step towards promoting and achieving healthy living among children by implementing the F-MARC '11 for Health' project in Ghana.
A pilot study of the project, part of Fifa's 2010 World Cup legacy, will be implemented in some selected schools in Accra before it is rolled out nationwide. And it will not focus only on players’ health but on the health of communities and society as a whole.
Current research findings suggest physical inactivity-related diseases like cardiovascular diseases are among the top-ten killers in Ghana.
Prof. Jiri Dvorak, Chairman of F-MARC launched the project in conjunction with the Ghana Football Association on Tuesday with experts in football medicine in the country as well as officials from the country's Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health also attending.
Acting GFA President, Fred Crentsil, who opened the event in Accra, thanked Fifa for choosing Ghana as one of the countries for the implementation of the FIFA-MARC '11 for Health' project.
Ghana's deputy Minister for Sports, Nii Nortey Dua was also delighted that Ghana has was chosen among the countries to pilot the porgramme.
"We are grateful to F-MARC that when the GFA expressed its interest to participate in the Football for Health Programme, F-MARC responded positively and supported to replicate in Ghana, the benefits and experiences of the pilot implementation of the project ," deputy Minister for Sports Nii Nortey Dua said.
"This is against the background that Ghana was the only African country which took the world by storm and almost took Africa to a record semi final place at the 2010 World Cup.
"That makes Ghana a nation which deserves to be part of any legacy of the 2010 World Cup."
Through the F-MARC programme, the Ghana Football Association has addressed a variety of other medical issues over the years but will now be targeting communities to stamp out the growing problem of child obesity in some emerging economies in Africa like Ghana.
The project which is supported by Ghana's Michael Essien and Didier Drogba will promote physical activity among children through football.
The F-MARC have clear goals: to protect the health of the 265 million players worldwide, to promote football as a safe and healthy leisure activity and to develop its contribution to world health.