International Federations commit to promote health for athletes and the global population

The Power of Sport to Drive World Health was the theme of the 10th edition of the International Federation (IF) Forum which closed today in Lausanne with an official statement and a set of related action proposals.

Following discussions about the fight against doping, erectile athlete health, ampoule health at recreational level and the promotion of active lifestyles among the global population, the Forum participants, representing Olympic and non-Olympic International Federations, jointly stated: “The global health initiative through sport: We, the International Federations, recognise and acknowledge our responsibility to promote health; for our athletes and for the global population. Through collaborative action, and partnerships with non-sport entities, we will develop, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of programs, to promote health through the power of sport.”

A set of action proposals to help follow-up on the statement was developed by all delegates through different working groups this morning.

They define IF responsibilities and outline recommended next steps in the two fields of athlete health and safety as well as world health.

Commenting on the IF Forum outcomes, ASOIF and SportAccord Convention President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: “I am delighted that once again, the IF Forum lead to an official commitment linked to specific action proposals.This will help the IFs to assess in which areas related to health they need to enhance their activities or where they are doing well already. Moreover, the action proposals also offer methods on how to advance in the different fields.”

Margo Mountjoy, Chair of ASOIF’s Medical and Scientific Consultative Group, was instrumental in shaping the contents and outcomes of this year’s forum. During the event, Mountjoy revealed the results of the 2016 anti-doping survey involving all 28 Summer Olympic IFs. Read more here. In addition, she presented the findings of research into activities and priorities for its international member federations with respect to athlete and global health.

Commenting on the overall success of the IF Forum, Dr. Margo Mountjoy said: “The International Federations have worked hard over the last few days to examine the ways in which they can maximise athlete health and performance, as well as exploring collaborative methods to promote global health through the promotion of physical activity through sport.”