JAKARTA/ZURICH, 30 July 2021 – “None of us are superhuman. If things are getting too much, ask for support from your friends, family, and even professional help,” said ASEAN footballers in #ReachOut videos.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) joined forces to launch #ReachOut, a campaign designed to raise awareness of the symptoms of mental health conditions, encourage people to seek help when they need it, and help eradicate any associated stigmas.

Secretary-General of ASEAN Dato Lim Jock Hoi said, “Mental health and well-being are just as important as physical health and safety. Under the Chairmanship of Brunei Darussalam, ASEAN is taking steps to advance cooperation with external partners on mental health, in order to provide the ASEAN Community with the necessary and appropriate mental health and psychosocial support services.”

Depression affects more than 260 million people in the world while around half of all mental health conditions start by age 14. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in young people aged 15-29. Among active football players, 23% report sleep disturbance, while 9% have reported depression and a further 7% suffer from anxiety. Among retired players, these figures increase with 28% struggling to sleep and depression, and anxiety affecting 13% and 11% respectively (source: FIFPRO).

Working from home, unemployment, school closures and social isolation have affected people around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. The challenges for people with mental health conditions, for whom access to treatment has been disrupted, are even greater.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people will have found it challenging to maintain a healthy lifestyle, such as: getting regular exercise; eating healthy food; getting enough sleep; and keeping in touch with friends and family. However, ensuring that we stick to a daily routine has become more important, during this pandemic, than ever.

Many countries have found new ways of ensuring that people get access to mental health care during the pandemic. It is important for everyone to be comfortable to talk about their feelings, anxieties or fears for the future. In many cases, a conversation with a friend or family member can be the first step towards getting professional help.

ASEAN and FIFA, with expert guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO), launched the #ReachOut campaign, in order to encourage such conversations, and remind people of actions they can take for their mental well-being, both during the pandemic, and beyond.

In launching the campaign, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said, “This campaign is very important in raising awareness about mental health conditions and encouraging a conversation which could save a life. In FIFA’s Vision 2020-2023, we pledge our commitment to make football work for society, and I thank the players who have contributed to this important initiative. Having a conversation with family, friends or a healthcare professional can be key. FIFA is proud to launch this campaign, in partnership with ASEAN and supported by the World Health Organization, to encourage people to #ReachOut.”

Beyond the ASEAN sports sector, mental health promotion has always been one of the strategic priorities of the ASEAN health sector, through regional advocacy, capacity building, or guidelines development for various settings, including emergencies. Strengthening mental health services is also a component of ASEAN’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and future public health emergencies through the implementation of the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it is as important as ever to look after our mental and physical health,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization. “WHO is delighted to support the #ReachOut campaign, spearheaded by FIFA and the ASEAN sports sector, to encourage people to talk about their mental health and to provide practical advice for good mental health,” he said.

The campaign video features 14 past and present footballers and will be shared on FIFA digital channels, with multimedia toolkits to facilitate dissemination and use within Southeast Asia and beyond. This campaign is an activity under the ASEAN-FIFA memorandum of understanding signed in November 2019 on the sidelines of the 35th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok, Thailand.

The ASEAN-FIFA Joint Awareness Raising Campaign on COVID-19, endorsed by the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Sports (SOMS) – a body consisting of national agencies in charge of ASEAN sports cooperation – features a series of videos with ASEAN football personalities delivering messages in their local languages.

Before #ReachOut, the #BeActive campaign on physical fitness was launched in July 2020, followed by #FiveSteps, a campaign on sanitation and hygiene launched in October 2020. The joint campaign contributes to the implementation of the ASEAN Work Plan on Sports 2021-2025 and the ASEAN-FIFA Collaboration Plan 2021-2022.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and FIFA signed a four-year collaboration in 2019 to promote healthy lifestyles through football globally. The two organisations jointly launched the “Pass the message to kick out coronavirus” campaign in March 2020 to share advice on effective measures to protect people from COVID-19.  This initiative informs the formulation of key messages for the ASEAN-FIFA Joint Awareness Raising Campaign. (ASEAN)