WHO, WADA sign MoU to collaborate on clean, drug-free sport

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have signed a four-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) to allow experts from both international organizations to collaborate and share information on issues where anti-doping and public health intersect, WAM reports.

The MoU was signed in Geneva, Switzerland, by WADA President, Witold Bańka, and Director General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The agreement will run until 1st October 2027 and provides a framework of cooperation between WHO and WADA to further their goals, specifically with regards to health promotion, the prevention of substance abuse and emerging drugs, and the promotion of clean sport.

The memorandum pursues several goals:

- Prevention and assessment of health risks associated with psychoactive substance use and related disorders, with a focus on doping compounds and substance use among athletes;

- Awareness raising and advocacy for clean sport and substance misuse prevention worldwide;
- Raising awareness through education initiatives with the support of goodwill ambassadors and influencers to drive positive change;
- Collaboration on sub-standard and falsified medical products, including identification of new emerging psychoactive drugs through sharing of information, mutual support, and engagement with sport federations; and
- Reporting on abuse and misuse of falsified and sub-standard medical products in sport.

The MoU also aligns with both organizations’ common objective of achieving the United Nations Sustainable Goal 3: Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages. These goals stem from the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 and provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.