FIFA has teamed up with ‘Heartbeat of Football’ to actively promote heart health to fans attending the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ - through the implementation of a booth at one of the tournament’s biggest FIFA Fan Festivals™. The booth – which will be open throughout the tournament at the Sydney / Gadigal site – presents a unique opportunity for fans to visit for a free check-up and receive critical first aid training in how to respond to someone suffering a cardiac arrest. This is through a series of hands-on demonstration sessions. Visitors will also have the chance to meet high-profile heart health advocates – as well as experts who will share their heart health insights.

Commenting on the activation, Andy Paschalidis, Founder of the Heartbeat of Football Foundation charity, said "We are so honoured and excited to partner with FIFA Medical to deliver our heart health awareness, preventative heart health checks and rescue-ready CPR & AED model at the FIFA Fan Festival site in Sydney. It really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we are so grateful.” Cardiovascular disease is the leading single cause of disease burden and death in Australia. Annually, it is responsible for 27% of deaths in the country, claiming the life of one person every 12 minutes. It affects more than four million Australians and costs the economy in excess of AUS $5 billion per year.

Meanwhile, out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrests result in more than 25,000 deaths per year in Australia – with a survival rate for someone suffering a cardiac arrest away from medical care just 10%. Many of the fatal incidences are preventable – through education, risk factor modification and/or appropriate and immediate application of first aid. As well as providing free check-ups and advice, the Heartbeat of Football booth will also seek to educate visitors as to how best they can help prevent themselves, and their loved ones, from becoming one of those statistics. Andrew Massey, FIFA Medical director, added: “We are delighted to collaborate with Heartbeat of Football at the Women's World Cup. Heart health is one of the core pillars of FIFA Medical and we see this initiative as such an important legacy project for FIFA. It fits perfectly with the President's vision of "making football truly global" and provides a safe environment for everyone that enjoys football by preventing sudden cardiac arrests through education and screening.”

In addition to general heart health awareness, the booth will also seek to spread awareness on how the condition affects women – figures that are largely under-recognised, under-funded and under-diagnosed in many countries across the world. In Australia, nearly three times more women die each year as a result of heart disease than of breast cancer – and it is estimated that nine in every ten women have at least one risk factor for heart disease. All those visiting the Sydney / Gadigal FIFA Fan Festival™ are encouraged to pass by the booth for their free check-up. For more information about the location, opening times and transport of the FIFA Fan Festival™ can be found here.

For more information about the Heartbeat of Football charity, please visit www.heartbeatoffootball.com.au.