The 12th ‘World Sport for All Congress’ took place in Genting Highlands, Malaysia last November with the motto “Sport for All – Sport for Life”. Following the success of the 2006 Congress organised in Havana, Cuba, the 2008 edition once again proved to be a perfect platform for exchanging expertise and recalling the benefits of sport and exercise for a healthy lifestyle and taking concrete measures to implement Sport for All programmes and initiatives in developed and developing countries alike. The 12th World Sport for All Congress called on governments to act urgently to counter the global problems of decreasing physical activity and the increasing incidence of obesity.
Among the recommendations put forward by this congress, governments are urged to:
• Incorporate sport and physical activity as a key component of health policy
• When formulating policies, public health, social and economic benefits of sport and physical activity should be taken into account
• Consider Sport for All as an investment, not a cost and a burden.
Various benefits are obtained when increasing the levels of sports and physical activity, including:
• Improved levels of mental and physical health
• An increase in social interaction and the benefits derived from the inherent values of sport and physical activity
• Increased socio-cultural integration and particularly integration of ethnic groups, people with perceived disabilities, and immigrants.
• The role of sport and physical activity in education
• The considerable reduction in costs of health and welfare.
The congress also stated: “Physical inactivity is a major independent risk factor for Non-communicable Disease (NCD) –including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity and certain types of cancers – around the world, and alone accounts for almost two million deaths each year. NCD deaths constitute approximately 60 per cent of all deaths around the world each year, and 66 per cent of the 35 million NCD deaths occur in developing countries, with the overall physical inactivity trend worst in poor urban areas.”
The congress strongly recommended that government agencies for health, education and sport together with the national Olympic committees, international federations and other sports organisations, develop and adapt sport and physical activity and education programmes, and consider the importance and benefits of:
• The IOC focus on education through sport
• Community-based accessible programmes
• Sports and physical activity facilities
• School and youth-based programmes, including after-school programmes; integral involvement of community clubs, sports clubs and other community organisations.
• Meeting the specific requirements of people with perceived disabilities.
• Using modern technology, including information technology, to educate and encourage the community, especially young people.
• Popularizing sports programmes to attract and maintain interest among young people.
• The sharing of knowledge between organisations to facilitate widespread use and adoption of best-practice models and case studies.
These recommendations are particularly valid for Malta where the problem of obesity and lack of physical activity by both adults and, perhaps more worryingly, children, is rampant. We have been warned about these escalating problems for many years now. Yet, we are still alarmingly slow to counteract them. Taking even some of these recommendations on board will encourage a healthier lifestyle that will benefit not only the individuals concerned but also society in general. I ask the government to take the health of our beloved country seriously and not use a number of promotional gimmicks and short-term actions in the hope of convincing us that the problem is being tackled.
Dr Micallef Stafrace is a Labour Party candidate in the forthcoming European Parliament elections.
[email protected]