GOC chief urges investment in sports to cut health budget
The President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Ben Nunoo Mensah, has reiterated the importance of government investment in sports to trim the nation's health spending.
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He stressed the link between an active populace and lower rates of non-communicable diseases, pointing to potential savings for both individuals and the country.
Addressing a multi-stakeholder conference in Accra of stakeholders on the newly initiated community sport and health cooperation between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), with PATH, an international non-governmental organisation, as the lead implementers, Mr Nunoo Mensah highlighted Ghana's role as one of the first countries to implement the collaborative initiative, which aims to extend health-boosting community sports to over a million people across five countries by 2025.
He explained that the new cooperation programme with the WHO and PATH would strengthen the role of sport in building healthy and active communities with three key goals: improving access to community sports, promoting inclusivity and raising awareness of the benefits of physical activity.
The GOC chief called for coordinated efforts across ministries—sports, health, education and local government—to align with the vision of Olympism 365.
“Sports is a low-cost but very high-impact tool which we can all use to build together a more peaceful, more equal and more sustainable world for everyone, 365 days a year.”
“Another objective is to enhance knowledge, understanding of and appreciation for the multiple benefits of regular physical activity and sports participation including prevention of non-communicable diseases, improved mental health and well-being and social connections, “he said.
He pledged the GOC's support for action plans emerging from stakeholder engagements, advocating collective action to leverage sports for societal development. -GNA
