FIFA and the World Health Organization (WHO) have agreed to extend their collaboration to promote health through football worldwide. FIFA president Gianni Infantino and WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus signed a four-year extension to the Memorandum of Understanding, which has been in place since 2019, during the 76th World Health Assembly in Geneva on May 24.
Since 2020, the two organizations have teamed up on a range of digital campaigns and initiatives to address health-related issues, including mental health, domestic violence, an appreciation of the work of health professionals during the Covid-19 pandemic, equitable access to vaccinations and vaccines, diagnostics, oxygen and other life-saving tools, and the “Pass the message to kick out coronavirus campaign,” which involved FIFA Legends. These add to several initiatives during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 to promote the importance of access to physical and mental health for all, with the support of the Qatar Ministry of Public Health.
