The World Health Organisation’s New Global Action Plan and What It Means for Global Healthcare

In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a new Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030 in an effort to combat the growing epidemic of sedentary behavior and physical inactivity around the world.

The new action plan aims to increase physical activity worldwide through a number of specific policy recommendations as well as new physical activity guidelines for members of the general public to follow.

‘Being physically active is critical for health and well-being,’ said WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. 

‘[Physical activity] can help to add years to life and life to years. Every move counts, especially now as we manage the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic. We must all move every day – safely and creatively’.

As part of the ‘moves’, the WHO’s new physical activity guidelines recommend at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic physical activity for adults every week. This recommendation includes people living with chronic conditions as well as certain cases of disability. An average of 60 minutes of physical activity per day is recommended for children and adolescents.

The action plan aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and aims to reduce physical inactivity by 15% by 2030. By building on the existing commitment world-leading health officials have on the SDGs, the WHO hopes its new action plan will renew global efforts at promoting physical activity and provide policy makers the opportunity to refocus their concerns on the widespread lack of physical activity.

‘Physical activity of any type and any duration can improve health and wellbeing, but more is always better,’ said the Director of Health Promotion at the WHO, Dr. Ruediger Krech.

According to Dr. Krech, people who find themselves sitting or standing still for long periods of time ‘should do more physical activity to counter the harmful effects of sedentary behavior’.

Dr. Fiona Bull, Head of the Physical Activity Unit responsible for developing the new WHO physical activity guidelines states that the guidelines ‘highlight how important being active is for our hearts, bodies and minds’.

‘The favorable outcomes [of regular physical activity] benefit everyone, of all ages and disabilities,’ said Dr. Bull.

The WHO’s action plan, coupled with the organization’s toolkit named ACTIVE (launched in 2019) provides national health officials with more guidance on how to incorporate physical activity guidelines into their health strategies.

The action plan also suggests ways to help countries adapt the physical activity guidelines to local culture and contexts, to help increase the levels of physical activity globally. National government health departments are encouraged to strategize ways to incorporate the WHO physical activity guidelines into their health strategies to promote greater levels of physical activity.

Health professionals and complementary and alternative medicine practitioners are also encouraged to learn more about the WHO physical activity guidelines and recommend them to patients whenever necessary. These include practitioners such as chiropractors.

The WHO’s global action plan is well on track and only time will tell its success rate as more and more individuals incorporate increased levels of physical activity into their daily life.