Brazil and England's teams CPR trained ahead of Women's Finalissima
Wednesday, April 5, 2023
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Staff and players from England and Brazil's women's teams as well as match officials have received CPR training ahead of the Women's Finalissima at Wembley.
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Staff and players from England and Brazil's women's teams as well as match officials have received Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training ahead of the Women's Finalissima. The event marks the start of a major initiative launched by UEFA and the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) to train over 12,000 people in CPR.
The initiative was launched at the UEFA Medical Symposium earlier this year and aims to raise awareness of the importance of rapid and effective resuscitation in the event of sudden cardiac arrest. CPR doubles the chances of survival and could save over 100,000 lives in Europe every year.
The training will be extended to teams competing in this year's UEFA Nations League finals, the UEFA European Under-21 Championship and various youth and futsal competitions during the course of the year. It will also be provided to UEFA staff, its 55 member associations, and volunteers working at UEFA EURO 2024 in Germany.
Players from England and Brazil expressed their appreciation for the initiative.
Hannah Hampton, England goalkeeper:
"I recommend everyone is CPR trained, it's so important and easy to learn. Find a local CPR training centre near you, it can save lives."
Rafaelle Souza, Brazil midfielder:
"Everybody should know how to perform CPR, it can save lives on and off the pitch. I've just lost a relative to a heart attack and I feel like If I had known before how to react, I could have taught my family and friends how to save a life."
CPR for everyone
UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin received CPR training at the beginning of the year and said that the new initiative would use football's powerful voice to raise awareness on CPR techniques and encourage people to educate themselves, step up and save lives. The training initiative will be complemented later in the year by an awareness campaign aimed at encouraging members of the public to take CPR training.
UEFA's Minimum Medical Requirements stipulate that all UEFA matches must have an advanced life support ambulance and three automated external defibrillators (AED) on-site. No UEFA match can start without the presence of an AED, stretcher/scoop and bag valve mask. Additionally, UEFA's Football Doctor Education Programme trains over 1,000 football medical staff every year, while the HatTrick development programme allocates dedicated annual funding to each member association for medical education purposes.
The initiative aims to bring football's medical expertise to the players, referees, staff and the general public by reminding everyone that proper and timely reaction from a bystander, usually a lay person, can increase chances of survival by two or three times. Timely CPR could save over 100,000 lives in Europe alone every year.
On Friday 7 April, we celebrate the WHO's World Health Day to promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being all over the world. UEFA's ambition is to mobilise the football community to promote better health, active lifestyles and widen the engagement of players across age groups.