WHO action plan for physical activity 2018-2030

The World Health Organisation (WHO) global action plan to promote physical activity aims to reduce physical inactivity by 2030. The WHO believes that investment in policies and programmes to promote overall physical activity among the population by government, the private sector, the health sector, and civil society can go a long way toward complementing and achieving many of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These SDGs include:

• ↓SDG2- ending all forms of malnutrition

• ↓SDG3- good health and well-being

• ↓SDG4- quality education

• ↓SDG5-gender equality

• ↓SDG8-decent work and economic growth

According to the WHO, 31% of adults and 86% of adolescents (aged 11-17) fall short of the WHO global standard for physical activity (Lancet Global Health, 2024). It is noted that as society has changed due to increased use of technology, urbanization, and patterns of transportation, levels of physical inactivity are as high as 70% in some countries.

The WHO has set a global target to achieve a 15% relative reduction in physical inactivity by 2030 (measured against a 2010 baseline).

The WHO states that improving physical activity can prevent and treat non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity while, at the same time, positively impacting the mental and social well-being of the population.

The WHO action plan consists of four (4) strategic objectives and 20 policy actions aimed at:

(1) ↓Creating an active society (attitude and social norms)

(2) ↓Creating active environments (spaces and safety)

(3) ↓Creating active lives (opportunities and programmes)

(4) ↓Creating active systems (research, governance and policy enablers)

The action plan 2018-2030 complements the overall findings of the IDB report on sport and physical activity for Latin America and the Caribbean. The burning question is whether the findings and recommendations of these reports would receive serious action beyond verbal acknowledgement.

Since the removal of the public health care measures for COVID-19 in 2022, the running calendar has been littered with multiple races especially 5K’s on a weekly basis. Many of these events have been aligned to addressing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and cancer and promoting mental wellness. The proactive approach by civil society and the business community, especially the financial institutions such banks and insurance companies, must be matched by national governing bodies (NGBs) to strive to achieve the goals and objectives of developing a physically active society. The 4 strategic objectives of the WHO Action Plan must also be aligned to the assessment of the implementation, monitoring, evaluation and success of the National Sport Policy 2017-2027. The potential benefits will not only be a healthier society but also the potential reduction and/or delay in certain health care costs.

Editor’s note: The views expressed in the preceding article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of any organisation in which he is a stakeholder.