Qatar recently organized an event in collaboration with Germany and Ghana in Geneva, titled ‘Aligning for Country Impact: 2024 progress report on the Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-Being for All’. The event was attended by Minister of Public Health H E Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari, Minister of Health of Ghana H E Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, and Deputy Head of Unit Global Health, German Federal Ministry of Health H E Bjorn Kummel, along with over 60 high-level participants in the 77th World Health Assembly.
At the event, Dr. Al Kuwari launched the executive summary of the Sport for Health report, which focuses on promoting health and well-being through sporting events, specifically the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The Sport for Health partnership, established in October 2021 between Qatar, WHO, and FIFA, aimed to make the FIFA World Cup in Qatar a healthy and safe event, and a model for future major sporting events.
In her address, Dr. Al Kuwari highlighted the opportunities that the Sport for Health programme offers in spreading health messages to millions of people through mass and social media. She also pointed out challenges such as providing healthy food options to World Cup fans and measuring physical activity progress. Dr. Al Kuwari emphasized the importance of countries and participating agencies coming together to accelerate progress in implementing SDG3 related to Good Health and Well-Being.
One of the speakers at the event was H E Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy. He shared details from the report on how Qatar and its stakeholders managed to deliver a healthy and safe World Cup amid a global pandemic. Al Thawadi mentioned that the report covers the positive local and global impacts of Qatar’s approach and will serve as a guide for other countries in organizing similar events.
Overall, the event in Geneva showcased the ongoing efforts of Qatar, Germany, and Ghana in promoting health and well-being through initiatives like the Sport for Health programme. The collaboration between these countries and various stakeholders demonstrates a commitment to aligning for country impact and accelerating progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of Good Health and Well-Being. The executive summary of the Sport for Health report provides valuable insights that can guide future major sporting events in prioritizing the health and well-being of participants and spectators.
