The World Health Organization (WHO) announced Wednesday extending the joint memorandum of understanding with the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) effectobe since 2019 for another four years.
FIFA and WHO have agreed to extend their collaboration and to continue to use the power of football to promote healthy lifestyles and equal access to health services worldwide, WHO said in a statement.
The statement quoted WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as saying, "health and football are perfect teammates. Promoting healthy lifestyles, safe stadiums and the physical and mental benefits of physical activity are among the many health goals WHO is proud to keep scoring with FIFA for the next four years." WHO's partnership with FIFA has already succeeded to share evidence-based messages to help people of all ages lead healthier and safer lives through the power of football and sport, he added.
For his part, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said "We are proud to have signed and renewed the Memorandum of Understanding with the World Health Organization - we are proud to continue our relationship to pass important physical and mental health messages through our global football audience." He also extend his gratitude to WHO team, to everyone that helps in the healthcare sector, from doctors to nurses to healthcare professionals and health ministers, and to everyone who contributes to make everyone's lives better.
Reflecting on the past four years, he added, "Both Dr Tedros and I felt that in a world that is more and more divided, maybe if the World Health Organization and FIFA join forces, we can achieve something, we can have even just a little impact to make our lives a little bit better." For three years, the two organizations have also championed the need to (Be Active) to promote regular physical activity. WHO recommends that healthy adults do a minimum of 30 minutes physical activity per day, while children should do a minimum of 60 minutes daily. However, current WHO data has reported that 80 percent of adolescents are not getting enough daily exercise.
Source: Kuwait News Agency
