The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) 2022 has made clear the contribution sports can make to advancing inclusive, egalitarian, and accessible healthcare.
Yesterday’s summit closing ceremony included H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of the Qatar Foundation.
The World Health Organization, the International Disability Alliance, and WISH announced the “WISH Declaration on Disability Inclusion in Sport and Health” during the meeting. It acts as a call to action for more inclusive sport participation.
The closing session was also attended by President of Tanzania H E Samia Suluhu Hassan; the First Lady of Sierra Leone H E Dr. Fatima Maada Bio; Vice-Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani; Minister of Public Health H E Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari; President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino; Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy Hassan Al Thawadi; and a number of other dignitaries and decision makers.
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Speaking at the session under ‘The Power of Sport and its Positive Impact on Society,’ Hassan Al Thawadi said FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 has a great impact on society, and been a platform to promote healthy living.
“From the beginning, we realised that the World Cup and football have a great impact on society, because of our belief in the ability of sport to bring about positive change in societies. The tournament has devoted its active role in promoting a healthy life, practicing many sports activities and following a healthy lifestyle,” he said.
Al Thawadi also highlighted the initiatives SC has taken to promote health and wellbeing of workers.
Gianni Infantino stressed the significance of Qatar hosting the World Cup. He said Qatar has made positive transformations to present the best version of the World Cup, especially as it will be the largest football tournament organised after the COVID-19 pandemic. He said Qatar will host the best World Cup, which will leave its legacy for the region and world.
The closing session of WISH 2022 also saw the launch of the fourth edition of the Street Child World Cup, an international football tournament held to champion the rights of less privileged children worldwide.
It is an initiative of Street Child United and this year it will feature 28 teams of girls and boys from 25 countries and will be hosted in partnership with Qatar Foundation.
The launch featured a video by Brazilian footballer Neymar Jr., who addressed the children participating in the Street Child World Cup.
The discussions on last day of WISH 2022 concluded with several key recommendations, including using sports to promote healthier lifestyles at all age levels, scaling the potential health impact of sports events, supporting effective planning and delivery of sporting events’ legacy for future events, and developing mechanisms for the transfer and development of knowledge.
Through its Innovation Competitions, WISH provides as a powerful platform for recognizing the most recent advancements in healthcare and honors both early-stage entrepreneurs and those seeking to scale up. The winners of this year’s competition received cash awards and trips to Web Summit, one of the biggest Internet conferences in the world, which will be held in Portugal in November.
