The COVID-19 pandemic caught the sector off guard; its impact not only redefined our way of living, but also reinforced the urgency to strengthen worldwide coordination.

In this context, the World Active Forum was officially launched in June 2021, as a platform designed to bring all stakeholders around the table, as a way to stimulate dialogue, share best practice and respond to the World Health Organization’s call to set up one clear voice for promoting physical activity at the global level. This initiative, meant to unite the sector, is based on values such as inclusiveness, transparency and accountability. All continents are represented within the Forum, and the invitation to participate remains open to all organisations from across the globe.

Rising cost of ill-health
The recently released status report of the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030 revealed the enormous potential burden of physical inactivity on the healthcare systems, with up to a half billion new non-communicable disease cases internationally with an annual cost of US$27bn in treatment. High-income countries are expected to be the most impacted if the situation stays the same.

The World Active Forum aims to enhance collaboration with governments and United Nations agencies, thus repositioning the fitness and physical activity sector as an integral component of the preventative health environment. The final purpose is to speak with a singular, strong voice to achieve this much-needed systemic change.

‘Four pillars’
To successfully achieve these aspirations, the current global platform will transform into a Federation, next April, during the FIBO trade show. Its structure will be based on four thematic pillars: Research and Social Impact, Gender-Equality and Inclusion, Public Affairs, and Skills and Workforce. Aiming to get “more people, more active, more often”, the World Active Federation will work towards a physically active, healthier world. This is our objective, and we can achieve this by all working together.