Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation ( QF), on Thursday attended the closing ceremony of QF’s World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) 2022, at Education City.
Also in attendance were Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of Tanzania; Dr Fatima Maada Bio, the First Lady of Sierra Leone; Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA; HE Hassan al-Thawadi, the Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy; and HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of QF along with a number of other excellencies, leaders, and decision makers.
With a focus on the role sports can play to promote accessible, inclusive, and equitable healthcare, the final day of the summit saw the launch of the “WISH Declaration on Disability Inclusion in Sport and Health”. Drawn up by the World Health Organisation, the International Disability Alliance, and WISH, the declaration serves as a call to action for inclusive participation in sport.
The discussions yesterday concluded with several key recommendations, including using sports to promote healthier lifestyles at all age levels, scaling the potential health impact of sports events, supporting effective planning and delivery of sporting events’ legacy for future events, and developing mechanisms for the transfer and development of knowledge.
Apart from conversations around sport and healthcare, leading voices, experts, and policymakers from around the world engaged the participants in speeches and discussions during the three-day summit. Some of the themes this year included the resilience of health systems, vaccine innovation and equity, lessons from Covid-19, and the well-being of the healthcare and migrant workforces.
The formal launch of the fourth edition of the Street Child World Cup, an initiative of Street Child United, was also announced yesterday. The international football tournament, held to champion the rights of underserved children worldwide, will this year feature 28 teams of girls and boys from 25 countries and hosted in partnership with QF.
The launch featured a video by Brazilian football player, Neymar Jr, who addressed the children participating in the Street Child World Cup. Reminiscing on his own start to the sport, he said: “As many of you know, I started playing football in the street in front of my house. Football is the way I like to express myself – with joy, dribbling, and goals.
“May you keep dreaming and playing football with joy. Enjoy the Street Child World Cup and be proud to represent your countries,” he added.
