The State of Qatar is participating in the World Health Summit 2022, hosted by the German capital of Berlin from October 16 to 18, with a delegation headed by H.E. Minister of Public Health Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari.
The Summit will discuss several pressing topics including investment for health and well-being, climate change and planetary health, architecture for pandemic preparedness and response, digital transformation for health, food systems and health, resilience and equity of health systems, and global health for peace.
H.E. the Minister of Public Health and H.E. Sheikh Abdulla Bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Thani, Qatar’s Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany, participated in the opening session of the World Health Summit.
Speaking at the Sports and Health panel at the summit, Her Excellency Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari stressed that a legacy is being created to set the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™? as a role model to follow to ensure that future mega sporting events are healthy and safe.
Her Excellency said that in October 2021, the State of Qatar, represented by Ministry of Public Health and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, signed a partnership agreement with the World Health Organization (WHO) and FIFA to promote health and ensure health security during the 2022 World Cup, and to seize such an opportunity to promote health during and after the games. She added that the agreement focuses on supporting individuals in practicing healthy lifestyles through maintaining a healthy diet and physical activity, reducing risk factors for health, as well as communicating our message to Qatar’s residents, visitors, and members of the global community watching the games on television.”
“Healthy World Cup is an embodiment of the National Health Strategy (2018-2022) emanating from the Qatar National Vision 2030 that strives for a healthy population,” noted Her Excellency.
Her Excellency pointed out that the State of Qatar recently celebrated being the first country in the region to have all its municipalities awarded as healthy cities by the World Health Organization, which means that Qatar’s residents and visitors will enjoy the vast green spaces, walking paths and plenty of healthy alternatives across Qatar.
Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari added that to promote mental health awareness, the Ministry of Public Health and WHO, in collaboration with Qatar Foundation, have launched an initiative to build 32 Friendship Benches – representing each participating FIFA World Cup nation – where residents and visitors will be encouraged to meet and ask each other “Are you OK?” and take this opportunity to engage in dialogue and promote physical activity.
Those 32 benches will be distributed in prominent locations across the country.
The Sport and Health session was attended by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and several former athletes. The session also discussed several important topics, most notably highlighting the interdependence between sport and health, the impact of sport on healthy lifestyle, mental health, and community development, and clarifying how health promotion, health security and support can be the most crucial elements of sports and health initiatives and events, as evidenced by the FIFA Health World Cup Qatar 2022™?. The session also showcased the experiences of world-renowned athletes and those with special needs as well as the impact of sport on their lives. The session further discussed setting the scene for celebrating Universal Health Coverage Day in December and major sporting events to be organized in the future.
In April 2022, the UN General Assembly welcomed the FIFA World Cup in Qatar as the first event of its kind to be held in the Middle East and encouraged stakeholders to exert every possible effort to ensure that such an event will create a legacy for peace and development in the region. The General Assembly expressed its support for the launch of the “Health World Cup 2022 – Creating a Legacy for Sport and Health”, a multi-year collaboration between FIFA, the WHO, and the State of Qatar, which aims to make the 2022 World Cup a beacon for the promotion of healthy life, physical and mental health, well-being, and social welfare.
The World Health Summit is the unique international strategic forum for global health. Held annually in Berlin, it brings together stakeholders from politics, science, the private sector, and civil society from around the world to set the agenda for a healthier future by inspiring innovative solutions for better health and well-being for all.
The Summit aims to strengthen exchange, stimulate innovative solutions to health challenges, position global health as a key political issue and promote a global health conversation in the spirit of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Leading scientists, medical specialists, global health leaders and stakeholders in all sectors from all regions of the world are hosted as key speakers at the Summit.
Source: Ministry of Public Health