This three-year joint project, titled “Healthy World Cup 2022
TERHATHUM: OCT. 19 – Creating a Legacy for Sport and Health”, was announced at a joint event at WHO headquarters in Geneva, in which Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, participated in; His Excellency Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, Minister of Public Health of Qatar, His Excellency Mr. Hassan Al-Thawadi, Secretary-General of the Qatar Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Mr. Gianni Infantino, President of the International Football Association (FIFA), and Dr. Ahmed bin Salim Al-Mandhari, Director of the World Health Organization for Sharq Region average.
The organization and the State of Qatar, in close cooperation with the FIFA, will carry out joint activities to place the promotion of healthy lifestyles, health security and physical and psychological safety at the heart of this event, which is at the top of the world football and will be held from November 21 to December 18 next year.
In addition, the project aims to achieve another primary objective of identifying and translating best practices in promoting health, security and safety, as practiced in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, for use in major sporting events around the world.
Dr. Tedros said: “I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to the State of Qatar for cooperating with the World Health Organization to make the 2022 FIFA World Cup a role model in healthy sporting events. The organization is committed to working with Qatar and FIFA to harness the global power of football to help people lead healthier and safer lives.”
Dr. Tedros added: “With Qatar being the first FIFA World Cup to be held during the pandemic, this event provides a unique opportunity to show how sport now can promote health, and provide a lasting legacy for the organization of healthy sporting events as the world recovers from the pandemic.”.
Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, Minister of Public Health of Qatar, said: “The State of Qatar is proud to be the first country in the Middle East to host the FIFA World Cup, but our goal is not only to hold a successful and distinguished sporting event but also to establish one of the most sporting events. possible health. That is why we collaborated with the World Health Organization.
We look forward to working closely with the organization, FIFA and other partners on this new project in order to deliver a healthy and wonderful World Cup that leaves a legacy that supports the organization of healthy, sustainable and safe mega-sporting events in the future.”
The main themes that the project will focus on are supporting people to lead healthy lifestyles, through, inter alia, physical activity, healthy diets and tobacco cessation and control; promoting health security, with a focus on ensuring the safety of assemblies and mass events; Advocacy and awareness for health.
Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, praised the new partnership between Qatar and the organization, saying that it builds on the successful partnership between FIFA and the organization, signed in 2019 through a memorandum of understanding.
He said: “In these past two years, FIFA and the organization have redoubled their efforts to draw the attention of millions of people everywhere to the importance of physical and mental health, especially in light of the global challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. We are committed to working with the world of football, from elite players to grassroots teams, to advance the health message for all. The organization’s new project with Qatar is also fully compatible with FIFA’s cooperation with both sides. Working together, we will harness the power of sport as a catalyst for a safer and healthier world.”
His Excellency Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, said: “Since obtaining the rights to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, we have carefully considered the importance of leaving a sustainable and transformative social legacy that improves lives, in Qatar, in our region and around the world. With the experience of the pandemic, the importance of leveraging this platform to build awareness and improve public health has become even more important.
This partnership with the organization will advance and enhance our current efforts, and contribute to ensuring that the first FIFA World Cup in our region achieves the maximum possible social impact, and serves as a reference point for future events of a similar nature.”
Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari, Director of the World Health Organization for the Eastern Mediterranean, said: “The new partnership between the organization and the State of Qatar will have a strong role in spreading advice and messages throughout the region on the benefits of sport for health. In addition, it will help promote the goal of achieving “Health for All by All”, which is at the heart of the organization’s strategic focus in the region, represented by Vision 2023.
He added: “Sports offer people one of the most effective ways to lead a healthy life. The organization looks forward to working closely with Qatar to take advantage of the platform that sporting events provide to bring people together and promote solidarity, while at the same time encouraging healthy habits, from diet to physical activity, for people of all ages, genders and cultures.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical importance of physical activity for mental and physical health.
According to the World Health Organization, up to 5 million deaths, a year could be avoided if the world’s population were more active. The organization’s statistics indicate that one in four adults, and four out of five adolescents, do not exercise enough physical activity. Globally, this is estimated to result in US$54 billion in direct healthcare costs and another US$14 billion in lost productivity.
At a time when the pandemic has deepened vulnerabilities and inequities, it is now more important than ever to ensure that all people, of all ages and abilities, are able to play safe sports.
