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Mukaruzima L.1, Frantz J.M.2, Mutimura E.3
1University of the Western Cape, Physiotherapy, Cape Town, South Africa, 2University of the Western Cape, Faculty of Community Health Science, CapeTown, South Africa, 3Regional Alliance for Sustainable Development, Kigali, Rwanda
Background: Physical activity is one of the most cost effective and important factors for improving people's health. However, national strategies aimed at promoting health-enhancing physical activity in Rwanda are still a challenge. This review aims to determine how the Rwanda sports policy responds and influences sport for health.
Purpose: Policy interventions have a major role in successfully enhancing public health as they have the potential to influence large numbers of people. There is therefore a need to develop policies or strategies that emphasize on promoting physical activity for health.
Methods: A case study method was used to explore the Rwanda sports policy with particular interest on its responsiveness to promoting sport for health. Two models of policy analysis i.e.: the ADEPT (Analysis of Determinants of Policy Impact) and the Linear model were employed to review the Sports Policy. The models have predetermined criteria which were used as outcome measures to identify the different interventions and indicators aimed to promote sport specifically for health purposes. To further gain understanding of the sports policy, opinions of its key stake holders were sought through semi structured interviews. Thirteen (13) key stake holders who are in charge of implementing the sports policy in their respective institutions were purposively selected to participate in the study.
Results: The sport policy mainly aims at developing professional sports of which through the process, health promotion is expected as one of the sports benefits. Otherwise, specifically defined goals related to developing sport for health are lacking in the policy. Most of the stake holders admitted that there is a challenge in promoting sport for health due to different factors. And, they were of the opinion that the policy is designed with more focus on promoting professional sport, which also has better funding options than the other categories of sport.
Conclusion(s): Although the health benefits of sports are acknowledged, the Rwanda sport policy does not directly deal with promoting sports for health and this may be attributed to the fact that it is not under the health sector.
Implications: With some adjustments based on the current findings, the sports policy can be used to promote sport for health, or alternatively used as reference to develop national guidelines specifically for promoting sports for health.
Funding acknowledgements: The South African National Research Foundation (NRF)
Topic: Globalisation: health systems, policies & strategies
Ethics approval: Approved by the Senate Research Ethics Committee of the University of the Western Cape under registration number 14/7/8.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
