Sport and health go hand in hand, WHO says
Sporting goods industry body WFSGI has signed a new memorandum of understanding with the World Health Organisation (WHO). The two organisations have committed to working together “to improve global health through increased physical activity and sports participation”.
WFSGI said the signing had taken place against “a backdrop of pressing developments”. The latest industry data show a growing health and wellbeing trend, but that a concerning proportion of people do not meet WHO recommendations for physical activity. The situation for young people is particularly alarming, WFSGI said. It added that high levels of physical inactivity pose significant risks to global health and also present a worrying picture for sport.
Covid-19 widened pre-existing inequalities, it continued, including access to sport. Early data indicates a 41% decline in physical activity, particularly amongst the most disadvantaged social groups, and a 200% increase in mental health issues in young people. WFSGI called these statistics statistics “extremely worrying”, particularly since more than 80% of adolescents and 27.5% of adults were “insufficiently active” prior to the pandemic.
WHO has put in place a global action plan on physical activity, which aims to reduce inactivity levels by 15% by 2030. However, data shows that many countries are far away from meeting the action plan’s goals.
At the signing ceremony in Geneva on March 31, WFSGI chief executive, Robbert de Kock, said: “The inactivity crisis is real, and it has severe consequences for society. We know that 81% of young people do not benefit from enough physical activity. That’s why signing this agreement with WHO is a critical step towards advocating for elevating levels of sport and physical activity globally so that more people can lead active and healthier lives.”
For his part, WHO director-general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said: “Sport and health go hand in hand. We are pleased to be able to draw on the expertise and creativity of our partners to increase the participation of people around the world in physical activity and grassroots sport.”
