The event included WHO’s global partners and marked the opening day of the 73rd World Health Assembly
The Saudi Sports for All Federation (Saudi SFA) joined the World Health Organization’s (WHO) first virtual Walk the Talk: Health for All Challenge alongside many other global stakeholders. The online event took place May 16 and 17, and included physical activities, information sessions with experts on topics ranging from physical and mental health to nutrition and healthy ageing to cooking demonstrations.
As part of the SFA’s Move to Game initiative, all steps taken by the initiative’s competitors on May 16 and 17 were devoted to WHO on behalf the SFA and SAFEIS. Move to Game competitors collectively contributed 93,181,262 amount of steps over the course of the two day event.
Move to Game, held jointly by the Saudi SFA and the Saudi Arabian Federation for Electronic and Intellectual Sports (SAFEIS), was launched on April 30 and runs until May 31st. The gaming meets physical activity initiative targets all fitness levels and requires competitors to meet daily steps challenges as well as exercising challenges, all logged through the Move Spring app.
Structured as a global relay, the Walk the Talk: Health for All Challenge connected WHO regional and country offices around the world (Delhi, Brazzaville, Cairo, Copenhagen, and Washington DC) on May 16, then returned to WHO’s headquarters in Geneva on May 17 marking the opening day of the 73rd World Health Assembly.
The event offered opportunities for people to participate in a variety of virtual, timed events including yoga, exercise classes for all ages and abilities, meditation, and walking in place with the aim of getting people moving. WHO stated that the goals of Walk the Talk: Health for All Challenge were also to encourage healthy lifestyles and behaviors while promoting the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO powered by the United Nations Foundation and the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation.
