New global physical activity guidelines for a more active and healthier world: the WHO Regional Offices perspective
Riitta-Maija Hämäläinen, João Breda, Fábio Gomes, Gyanendra Gongal, Wasiq Khan, Romeu Mendes, Leo Nederveen, Nivo Ramanandraibe, Binta Sako, Stephen Whiting
Abstract
The WHO Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018–2030: more active people for a healthier world (GAPPA)1 was launched in 2018 to support countries to achieve a 15% relative reduction in prevalence of insufficient physical activity (PA) by 2030. GAPPA has raised awareness of the need for a whole-of-society response and a systems-based approach to achieve a paradigm shift in supporting all people to be physically active across the life course. Updating the WHO global PA guidelines was a key proposed action of this plan and requested by WHO Member States in the 2018 World Health Assembly. Guidelines are an important part of PA policy development. Implementing evidence-based PA guidelines can improve health outcomes at individual and population levels. For example, specific recommendations can help health professionals to assess PA and sedentary behaviour as a vital sign and provide counselling towards more physical active lifestyle to their patients in the primary care. More broadly, guidelines are essential tools for conducting monitoring and surveillance of PA and to help policymakers develop optimal policies and programmes to improve public health.1 However, the existence of PA guidelines at global level, or even national level, is alone unlikely to …