Between 2020 and 2030, nearly 500 million people will develop heart disease, obesity, diabetes or other chronic diseases attributable to physical inactivity, at a cost of $27 billion annually, if governments do not take urgent action to encourage greater physical activity. among their populations, the World Health Organization reported this Wednesday.
Beyond the human cost, the economic cost is very high: 300 billion dollars between now and 2030.
In its report on the global state of physical activity 2022, the Organization measures the extent to which governments are implementing recommendations to increase physical activity at all ages and abilities.
Data from 194 countries shows that progress is generally slow and that countries must accelerate the development and implementation of policies to increase physical activity levels and therefore prevent disease and reduce the burden on systems healthcare providers that are already overburdened.
Among other data, the report highlights that:
- Less than 50% of countries have a national physical activity policy, of which less than 40% are operational.
- Only 30% of countries have national physical activity guidelines for all age groups.
- While almost all countries report a system for monitoring physical activity in adults, 75% of countries monitor physical activity among adolescents, and less than 30% monitor physical activity in children under 5 years of age.
- In policy areas that could encourage active and sustainable transportation, only just over 40% of countries have road design standards that make walking and cycling safer.
Walking, cycling...
"We need more countries to expand the implementation of policies to help people be more active through walking, cycling, and other sports and physical activities," said the director general of the Organization when releasing the report.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted that " the benefits are enormous , not only for the physical and mental health of people, but also for societies and the economy."
He also noted that he hopes the report will help countries "to build more active, healthy and fair societies for all."
According to the study, the economic burden of physical inactivity is significant and the cost of treating new cases of chronic diseases will reach almost $300 billion by 2030, around $27 billion annually.
While national policies to address these diseases and physical inactivity have increased in recent years, 28% of measures are currently neither funded nor implemented.
The report also shows that only a little more than 50% of countries carried out a national communication campaign or organized mass participation physical activity events in the last two years.
Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has not only stalled these initiatives, but also affected the implementation of other policies that have widened inequalities in access and opportunities to participate in physical activity for many communities.
Recommendations to ensure greater activity
The report encourages achieving the global target of a 15% reduction in the prevalence of physical inactivity by 2030. To help countries increase physical activity, the WHO Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030 sets out 20 policy recommendations.
These tips include policies to create safer roads that encourage more active transportation and provide more physical activity programs in essential settings, such as schools, primary health care and the workplace.
A critical finding of the report is the existence of significant gaps in global data to track the progress of policies such as the provision of outdoor public spaces, walking and cycling infrastructure, or sports and physical education programs in schools.
“We lack globally approved indicators that measure access to parks, bicycle lanes and pedestrian paths, although we know that data exists in some countries. Consequently, we cannot report or track the global supply of infrastructure that will facilitate increased physical activity,” said the head of the UN agency’s Physical Activity Unit.
For Fiona Bull, this absence of data “can be a vicious circle”, as being without indicators leads to a lack of monitoring and, all too often, a lack of policy and investment.
“What is measured is done, and we still have a way to go to achieve exhaustive and rigorous monitoring of national actions on physical activity,” he added.
The report invites countries to prioritize physical activity as key to improving health and addressing chronic diseases, integrate physical activity into all relevant policies, and develop tools, guidance and training to improve implementation.
“It is good for public health and makes economic sense to promote more physical activity for everyone,” said Ruediger Krech, director of the Organization’s Health Department.
