In line with its partnership with Nike (RED), the Kind Boudouin Foundation has mandated SAD to compile a study on the role and possibilities of using football in HIV-prevention in Africa. The study shows that football is very suitable to transmit information and reach HIV-prevention goals. As a popular sport in Africa, football inspires the public and mobilizes the young generation in particular, an important target group for HIV-prevention. Many programmes are already using football trainings and tournaments to share knowledge about HIV and AIDS. Hereby the knowledge and skills of the trainers and coaches are crucial for reaching these aims. Football can also go beyond education: playing in a team promotes (among other social skills) and teaches fair play and respect and favours gender equity, if the programmes are set up accordingly.

But the use of football as a tool also has its limits. The study shows that the measuring of the attained prevention effect is very difficult. The adaptation of a programme to different social and economic conditions is especially chanllenging. Finally, the sustainability of such programmes should be examined. Lastly, the study concludes with a series of recommendations.

The Role of Football in HIV Prevention in Africa (pdf 993KB)