Qatar and the World Health Organization (WHO) launched Monday “Healthy 2022 World Cup – Creating Legacy for Sport and Health”, a three-year initiative meant to make the 2022 FIFA World Cup, to be held in Qatar, a beacon for physical and mental health promotion, and also a model for ensuring future mega sport events are healthy and safe, the UN body said on its website.
The Gulf country will host next year the FIFA’s largest soccer event. Qatar will become the first Arab country to host the world’s most popular sport event.
Qatar has already indicated that fans and players to attend the event will have to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
“WHO and Qatar, working closely with FIFA, will undertake joint activities to place the promotion of healthy lives, health security and physical and mental well-being at the heart of the world football’s pinnacle event, being held November 21- December 18 next year,” WHO said following the signing in Geneva.
“In addition, another critical goal of the project is to set and translate the best practices in health promotion, security and safety, as practiced at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, for use at major sporting events around the world,” the UN body also said about the three-year partnership agreement.
“The State of Qatar is proud to be the first country from the Middle East to host the FIFA World Cup. But our goal is not just to hold a successful sporting event – it is also to hold the healthiest sporting event possible. It is for this reason we have teamed up with WHO,” Dr Al Kuwari, Qatar’s Minister of Public Health said.
