The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have launched a new joint program to strengthen the role of sport in contributing to reducing physical inactivity and fostering active lives. According to a recent report by the WHO, 81 percent of adolescents and 27.5 percent of adults are not undertaking sufficient physical activity. The new three-year joint program aims to contribute to the global target of a 15 percent reduction in physical inactivity by 2030. The program is part of the IOC’s Olympism365 strategy, focused on strengthening the role of sport as an enabler for the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs) and is also informed by the WHO landmark Global Action Plan on Physical Activity (GAPPA) 2018–2030. The new joint program has three main objectives: improving access to physical activity programs, supporting particularly women and girls and people from diverse backgrounds and abilities to be more active; enhancing knowledge of the multiple benefits of regular physical activity and sports participation; and strengthening policy planning and investment in community sport and physical activity participation opportunities and infrastructure as well as the physical activity legacy of the Olympic Games and other global sports events.

Topics