Ghana's Michael Essien is part of a selected prominent group by Fifa to spearhead the “The 11 for Health” project that will explore football’s unique potential to improve the health not only of individuals but of communities worldwide.

Essien and other prominent football players (among them Didier Drogba, Nompumelelo Nyandeni, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi) will each adopt 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.

“The project will enable us to deliver health education through football,” explained Dr Michel D’Hooghe, Chairman of FIFA’s Medical Committee, at the end of the third International Football Medicine Conference in Sun City, South Africa.

According to organizers, the project is based on an analysis of the top health risks factors identified by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

“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,” said Prof. Jiri Dvorak, FIFA’s Chief Medical Officer and F-MARC Chairman.