11/03/2022 08:15:31 Sport has a transforming power as an element of inclusion and integration of societies. It is an essential factor that contributes to development and peace by promoting values such as respect, tolerance, empowerment and social inclusion, and has a direct impact on health and education.
In addition, in the case of inclusive sport, which promotes joint practice between people with and without disabilities, it goes deeper into aspects related to equal opportunities and access to a discipline that contributes to promoting the health of the people who practice it.
From this perspective, sport contributes directly to the achievement of many of the challenges included in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN in its 2030 Agenda, among which the following stand out:
SDG 3, Health and well-being: sport directly influences education, physical and emotional health and the behavior of all the people who practice it, as a cultural and social agent. Its direct contribution to people’s health is widely documented in numerous scientific publications that have shown that a sedentary life and dissociated from sports practice is related to a worse state of health, including some studies, such as the one published in The Lancet in 2012, point out the lack of physical activity as the cause of 9% of premature mortality worldwide. On the other side of the scale are all the positive effects that sport has on people’s health, since its habitual practice affects a better physical shape and promotes healthy lifestyles. Sport is also beneficial for mental health and positive cognitive development, and has an impact on people with depression or anxiety by improving self-esteem and self-confidence.
SDG 4 and SDG 5, Quality education and gender equality: anyone can enjoy sport, regardless of age, gender or nationality. Integrating physical activity into the curricula of schools and institutes is essential to receive a complete education that improves health and teaches values for a better future. In addition, sport is also a key element in breaking down gender inequalities and the gender gap suffered by women and girls around the world.
Precisely for this reason, Fundación Sanitas has been working for more than ten years in favor of inclusive sport, integrating this practice from an early age, since it is one of the most effective vehicles for integrating people with disabilities into society, in addition to of a constant learning path. Likewise, through the Chair of Inclusive Sports Studies, important research, teaching and generation of academic knowledge is carried out so that professionals can apply the theories of inclusion in their respective disciplines.
SDG10, Reduction of inequalities: Through sport, and especially inclusive sport, values such as respect, equality, empathy, persistence or self-improvement are promoted. Thanks to these values we can contribute to the spirit of this SDG that aims to reduce inequality of opportunities between countries, but also within them, promoting the social, economic and political inclusion of all people, especially vulnerable people.
SDG 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities: Through sport, we also contribute to making cities and communities placesinclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, an essential objective for Sanitas and its commitment to the One Health concept. Thus, in its spirit of combining the health of people with the health of the planet, the entity launches its ‘Healthy Cities’ project every year, with which it promotes active lifestyles and healthy urban environments, aware of the relationship between both with our health.
SDG 17, Partnerships to achieve the goals: It is fundamental that each sector contributes so that sustainable development is effective and that all countries, organisms, institutions, companies and NGOs get involved and cooperate. Institutions, both public and private, have sufficient tools to implement programs and initiatives in this field and thus create a true global alliance. In this sense, sport has the power to connect the networks of diverse partners and stakeholders with a common commitment to sustainable development.
In this sense, Fundación Sanitas has been promoting this objective for more than 10 years through the Alliance for Inclusive Sport, which brings together institutions, federations and foundations involved in bringing inclusive sport to the whole of society. Also, the Sanitas Healthy Cities project takes up this idea of joining forces to contribute through sport to improving the health of people and the planet. A goal that they share with the 80 companies that in 2021 decided to join the Healthy Cities challenge to contribute to a healthier and more sustainable society.