WHO and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are working together to promote healthy lifestyle choices, including physical activity, sports for all, tobacco free Olympic Games and the prevention of childhood obesity. As outlined in a memorandum of understanding signed in Lausanne, Switzerland, the WHO and IOC will work at both the international and country level to promote activities and policy choices to help people reduce their risk of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancers, and diabetes, according to a press release.
“This agreement with the International Olympic Committee will help increase our ability and reach in addressing the diseases which are the leading causes of death around the world,” Margaret Chan, MD, WHO director-general, stated in the release. “Tackling these diseases is one of the major challenges for sustainable development in the twenty-first century.”
