Sehat and Soul

In Pakistan, millions of children, particularly girls, disabled youth and those from underserved communities, face barriers to participating in sports. Cultural biases, limited resources and inaccessible programmes deny them the physical, emotional and social benefits of sport, perpetuating further inequities. Since 2021, our project partner Jawaan Champions has offered sports access to children in more than 280 schools across Pakistan, working with diverse communities, modifying sports for inclusivity and embedding physical education into school curricula.

These barriers exist within a wider national crisis. An estimated 50 million people in Pakistan experience mental health challenges, yet fewer than 5 per cent have access to accurate information, reflecting a significant gap in awareness and understanding. Even where this initial stigma is overcome, there are no cohesive systems in place to ensure access to care. With only one psychiatrist for every 550,000 people, no child psychologists and almost no community-based care, 90 per cent of those needing treatment are unable to access support. With just 0.4 per cent of the government health budget allocated to mental health, collaboration between government, healthcare institutions, expert organisations and those with lived experience has remained fragmented, resulting in siloed approaches, limited availability of support and inadequate policy.

BAT's efforts have sought to transform the mental health landscape across Pakistan by destigmatising and raising awareness of mental health, integrating mental health into primary healthcare to ensure accessible and affordable services for all, and building coalitions of support to drive systemic change, with children and youth at the heart of our strategy.

Building on this foundation, we are launching an ambitious new initiative to transform access to inclusive sport and mental health support for underserved children across Pakistan. By bringing together movement and mental wellbeing, the project will help children not only play, but build confidence, resilience and a stronger sense of belonging, both inside and beyond the classroom.