Latest content: Society and young people

Public parks have been gated shut, beaches emptied and stadia deserted, as an unprecedented 2.5 billion people across the world are told to sit at home.

This year the coronavirus has redefined International Day for Sport for Development and Peace celebrations.

To help sports policymakers and officials make good decisions about sport and exercise during the pandemic the Commonwealth is sharing lessons learned so far by sports policymakers around the Commonwealth.

Former international hockey player Joie Leigh takes part in the 4th annual debate on Sport and Sustainable Development, hosted by the Secretariat to celebrate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace in April 2019.

Leading health officials are calling for urgent action to reduce the number of cancer cases in the Commonwealth, which are above global averages.

Global experts have commended an international framework which helps countries and sports bodies measure the contribution sport makes to the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Health ministers from Southern African countries are being urged to secure the political will to prioritise funds which will fast-track the delivery of universal health coverage in the region.

Well-designed sport and physical activity strategies can make valuable contributions to national development and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. That was the message from experts and policy makers who gathered for the three-day annual meeting of the Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sport (CABOS).

Commonwealth sport policy experts will meet in Mauritius today to draw inspiration from the pioneering sport reforms the country has undertaken with the Secretariat’s support.

At the annual Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting in Geneva on Sunday, ministers discussed the need to prioritise women, youth, people with disabilities and vulnerable groups, in their ongoing push towards universal health coverage (UHC).

Commonwealth ministers of health will meet this Sunday, 19 May in Geneva, Switzerland to discuss how to accelerate universal health coverage (UHC) in their countries, in order to safeguard vulnerable populations.

An all-female team won the 4th Commonwealth Debate on Sport, arguing that “intentional action” is needed to scale sport’s impact on sustainable development. The debate was on the contribution of sport to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) being limited by a current skills and knowledge gap.

Namibia’s Ombudsman has conducted a roundtable on sexual orientation and gender identity in his country with support from the Commonwealth.  The conference builds on an earlier roundtable that focused on sexual and reproductive health and rights.

At the 30th Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting in Geneva, government representatives discussed a series of bold proposals

Tackling preventable diseases, funding universal healthcare and guaranteeing cervical cancer screening for girls are among the topics that will be addressed by Commonwealth ministers at a major health summit.

An agreement signed today in Apia, Samoa will strengthen cooperation between the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Pacific Community on healthcare.

Commonwealth health ministers concluded their one-day meeting on Sunday with agreements on universal health coverage, global security and violence prevention.

Commonwealth Health Ministers will gather for their annual meeting in Geneva on 21 May 2017, on the eve of the 70th World Health Assembly.

Deputy Secretary-General Josephine Ojiambo has urged the UK’s East African diaspora to work together to improve health care in the region. Dr Ojiambo, herself a Kenyan, told the 2nd UK-East African Healthcare Summit in London that as a physician she was heartened by in the diaspora’s commitment to make health a priority.

The Commonwealth will highlight the links between health and global security in a policy paper that outlines the role of health protection in addressing violence and achieving security.

Both the president and the prime minister of Sri Lanka took part in the launch of the Colombo Declaration to ensure better health across the Commonwealth.

By focusing on prevention rather than cure, countries – and especially least development countries – can get more bang for their buck when investing in national healthcare, advises the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Inclusive, affordable and sustainable sport is intrinsically linked with a healthy, happy and engaged population, writes Australia’s Minister for Sport, Sussan Ley, who is chairing the Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting in Rio de Janeiro on 4 August.

 

Experts from across the Commonwealth met in London last week to assess health security and universal health coverage ahead of the 2016 Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting in May.