WHO Names Uganda Most Active Nation

A report into the levels of physical inactivity across the globe has found that Uganda is the world’s most active nation.

The study, published in the medical journal The Lancet, is a compilation of surveys done in 168 countries. It highlights the health dangers of not doing enough exercise.

It found that overall just 5.5% of Ugandans do not do enough physical activity – defined as at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week.

The least active nation in the world is Kuwait where 67% of the population are not active enough, the report says. Mauritania, with a figure of 41.3%, is the least active country in sub-Saharan Africa.

So what is Uganda getting right?

People in rural Uganda, where most of the population lives, are very active on their farms, says the BBC’s Patience Atuhaire.

But, she says, in urban areas people are becoming more sedentary, especially as they get wealthier.