Physical Activity, Sports Contribute To Public Health -WHO

Regular physical activity and sport, such as football, can make a major contribution to improving public health by engaging people in regular, safe and social physical activity in their local communities, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.
This is one of the key recommendations outlined in the WHO Global Action Plan on Physical Activity” said Head of the Physical Activity Unit at WHO, Dr Fiona Bull, yesterday.
The Sports Health Conference which is holding ahead of the World Cup in Qatar aims to strengthen global efforts to decrease non-communicable diseases and promote positive mental health and well being.
The three-day conference will feature global sport and health experts, scientists and policy-makers from the Commonwealth Secretariat, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Together, they will examine how the popularity of sport can be leveraged to benefit health and increase participation in sports, and how mega sports events can leave more sustainable legacies which strengthen community participation in physical activity into the future.
Regular physical activity and sports help prevent and treat NCDs, and can also improve mental health and well-being. NCDs kill 41 million people each year, equivalent to 74percent of all deaths globally. Physical inactivity increases the risk of dying from an NCD. Today, one in four adults and four in five adolescents globally are not active enough and there has been little change in the average levels of physical activity.
Keynote speakers at the Sport for Health conference include: Nasser A. Al-Khori, Executive Director, Generation Amazing Foundation, who will share preparation and plans for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 legacy;  Peter Krustrup (Denmark) who initiated the “Football is Medicine” research consortia  of more than 200 researchers from 26 countries; and Matthew Philpott (UK), Executive Director, European Healthy Stadia Network CIC, who will share insights into how sports stadia venues can contribute to improving public health and raising levels of physical activity among populations.
“We are very happy to partner with the Ministry of Public Health and WHO to shed light on the importance of sport and the ways it can positively impact the health of individuals and communities,” said Executive Director at the Generation Amazing Foundation (GA), Nasser Al Khori, “Over the years, GA has developed programmes and tailored curricula to address a variety of social issues that impact youth and their well-being. We are excited to announce our latest module at the conference, which focuses on mental health and aims to provide sport for development practitioners with the knowledge and tools necessary to help cultivate self-awareness and influence positive behavioural change.”
portant tool for global health promotion. It is versatile, effective, fun and social, and it’s a global language,” said Peter Krustrup. “Football training is optimal for broad-spectrum prevention and treatment of noncommunicable diseases. “
The Sport for Health Conference, and the 4thAnnual Meeting of Football is Medicine (FIM), is co-hosted by the World Health Organization, the Qatar Ministry of Public Health and Generation Amazing Foundation. It is an activity undertaken as part of the Healthy FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Creating Legacy for Sport and Health Initiative, a partnership between WHO, FIFA, State of Qatar (Ministry of Public Health) and Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.

By: Kevin Nengia