WHO Collaborating Centre

The WHO Collaborating Centre for Physical Activity and Public Health at DSS

Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) relies on a network of more than 800 high-ranking academic institutions that support the activities of the organisation in areas such as nursing, occupational health, communicable diseases, nutrition, mental health, chronic diseases and health technologies. DSS operates one of only three WHO Collaborating Centres (WHO CCs) worldwide that are entirely dedicated to the topic of physical activity. The Centre was first designated by the WHO Regional Office for Europe in 2014. The designation was renewed for another four years in 2018. The staff of the WHO CC support the WHO Regional Office for Europe in conducting research on physical activity, preparing scientific publications and reports for policy and practice, conducting international seminars to build capacities for physical activity promotion, and conducting country missions to support advise national governments on physical activity policy.

Current activities of the Centre include:

1. Support for the development of country-level recommendations for physical activity and physical activity promotion in cooperation with the WHO Regional Office for Europe.
2. Support for capacity building and evidence gathering in the context of the WHO/EU Network of Physical Activity Focal Points.
3. Support in the implementation of the Physical Activity Strategy for the WHO European Region and the WHO Global Physical Activity Action Plan.
4. Support for WHO by conducting research in the field of physical activity and health promotion policy.

For more information on the DSS WHO Collaboration Centre and its ongoing projects, please visit the CC’s website http://www.who-cc.sport.fau.eu