Between 20 November and 18 December 2022, Qatar will host the world’s largest sporting event, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. Sport and health are intertwined, playing out together in a celebration of joy, well-being and solidarity for billions of people around the world.
In October 2021, the Ministry of Public Health signed a three-year partnership with the World Health Organization, FIFA and Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy and the to make the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ a beacon for physical and mental health promotion, and a model for ensuring future mega sport events are healthy and safe.
Three key pillars
The Healthy FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ partnership, also known as the Sport and Health project, is underpinned by three key pillars:
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Health promotion – through strategic collaboration with governments and sports stakeholders alike, reaching billions of people, through football and other sports, with actions to promote healthy lives, with a focus on physical activity, healthy diets, tobacco control and mental health.
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Health security – putting safety and security at the center of all mega sporting events for the benefit of fans, players and staff alike.
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Health communications – disseminating impactful messages and campaigns to the public to help them be healthy and safe.
The parternship is committed to:
- Protecting the health of all those involved in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™: FIFA, WHO and Qatar have teamed up to ensure the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ is a healthy and safe event from the implementation of precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to the provision of healthy menu options.
- Using the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ as a platform to promote healthy lifestyles: The tournament will inspire millions around the world to play more football and be more active including a global campaign to raise awareness of the health benefits of physical activity.
- Creating a blueprint to protect and promote health at future mass gatherings: The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ represents a unique opportunity to develop a new approach to organizing mega sports events factoring-in lessons learnt from the pandemic and reinforcing sports and health as a pathway for recovery.
