File photo. Photo credit: AFP
Doha, Qatar: As a legacy of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the World Health Organisation (WHO) will launch a new guide to enhance a healthy environment at sports events - developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH).
The new guide will be launched as a result of a unique global partnership between WHO and Qatar to protect and encourage health during FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and take lessons learned from the first tournament in the Middle East and Arab world to share with future mega sporting events.
According to WHO, the guide will be on how to improve the food offered and food environments at sports events and reflect on experiences gathered at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, during which 30% of the food offered in stadia had a healthier nutritional profile as per the established criteria.
Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at WHO will launch a new action guide ‘Healthier food and healthier food environments at sports events’, on August 24, Thursday. The guide will be directed to sports organisers said, WHO in its latest newsletter.
It proposes five actions to achieve healthier food and healthier food environments in and around sports stadia, from improving the food offer to preventing harmful marketing.
Sports mega-events in particular offer valuable opportunities for potentially larger impact reaching billions of fans worldwide, creating positive perceptions of healthier foods and beverages at stadia and beyond.
To mention in 2021 WHO, MoPH, FIFA and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) created the partnership ‘Healthy FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Creating Legacy for Sport and Health’ partnership.
Through the partnership FIFA, WHO and Qatar ensured that the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is a healthy and safe event from the implementation of precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to the provision of healthy menu options; The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 was sued as a platform to promote healthy lifestyles.
During the World Cup in 2022 Qatar implemented a total tobacco ban inside stadiums and availability of 30% healthy food and snack options. Besides, messages about health promotion, food safety and access to care were relatively more visible during this World Cup.
Speaking at the first Walk the Talk Doha: Health for all Challenge in 2022, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “With several initiatives such as no smoking and no drinking at the World Cup stadiums as well as healthy food in the stadium will help people to follow the idea of healthy lifestyle.”
“This World Cup (FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 ) is a pathfinder in sports and health joint initiative and this will help billions of people around the world to follow healthy lifestyle,” he said.
Qatar has also signed a 3-year partnership with WHO to improve healthcare access and promote healthy lifestyles across the country and creating a blueprint to protect and promote health at future mass gatherings.
