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Global Health Economics and
Sustainability
Peace and quality health is entrepreneurship

200 years (Mackenzie & Jeggo, 2019). Although its during sporting activities, and they, in turn, contaminated
principles were intermittently discontinued, they were playing grounds, parks, and stadiums (Herrero, 2020;
recognized as essential approaches for addressing threats Martykanova et al., 2019; Yan et al., 2022). Athletes were
posed by infectious diseases between 2003 and 2004. The also at risk of infection when exposed to contaminated
One Health approach was first put into action during the environmental sources, such as muddy playing grounds at
early 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory disease beaches (Lima & Bayraktar, 2022; Nicklas, 2022; Suresh &
(SARS), marking its practical implementation (Mackenzie Patil, 2023).
& Jeggo, 2019). One Health addresses a wide range of Common beach sports include beach soccer (Lima &
health problems by identifying underlying causes through Bayraktar, 2022; Krzywanski et al., 2021), beach volleyball
multidisciplinary and collaborative approaches. (Nicklas et al., 2022), beach basketball (Suresh & Patil,
Applied in the current work, the One Health framework 2023), and tennis (Ferrari et al., 2021). Beach soccer,
helps readers understand how microbiology and sports often used as a fitness and performance test (França et al.,
lessons can contribute to solving broader societal 2023; Larsen et al., 2021), has led to infections among
problems, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing many players (Lima & Bayraktar, 2022; Shimakawa et al.,
health. Among the various definitions of One Health, the 2016). If sporting activities are conducted near areas where
one provided by the United States Centers for Disease animals are reared (Allan et al., 2018; Day, 2016), athletes
Control and Prevention and the One Health Commission are at risk of contracting zoonotic diseases (Esposito et al.,
is particularly prominent (Mackenzie & Jeggo, 2019). It 2023; Natarajan & Miller, 2017; Pierce, 2018).
defines One Health as “a collaborative, multisectoral, and Infected players can spread infections to colleagues
transdisciplinary” approach that addresses health issues through contact during competition for the ball (Gallotta
with a global vision, working together to protect people, et al., 2022). Parasitic infections among athletes are
animals, plants, and their shared environment (Mackenzie frequently reported after sporting activities, especially
& Jeggo, 2019; Souza, 2011). This approach is highly those held in muddy environments (Abbas et al., 2020;
relevant to managing sports-accidental infections. DeNizio & Hewitt, 2019; Herrero, 2020; Yan et al., 2022).
1.2. Problem statement Sports-accidental infections are not limited to athletes
alone; these infections can be transmitted between
Football is the heartbeat of many globally, yet there is athletes and the general public through various means
limited information linking football matches to human (Davies et al., 2017; Pennino et al., 2023; Yan et al., 2022).
behavior. Lessons learned from football and infectious Infectious diseases could account for suicidality ideations/
diseases can help promote global peace, quality health, suicides among athletes (Boehme et al., 2023; Kader et al.,
and entrepreneurship. Unfortunately, there is negligible 2023; Ueda et al., 2023), hence the need for a One Health
literature linking the lessons from sports, such as football, approach.
and microbiological investigations (de Miranda et al., Researchers have explored the relationship between
2022; Siddig & Hay, 2022) that could foster global peace, peace and quality health (Abuelaish et al., 2020; Arya,
quality health, and entrepreneurship.
2019; Klinkmann & Vienken, 2008; Pett, 2018; Pulle, 2022;
Infectious diseases resulting from injuries are among Pulle et al., 2022), including statements from the WHO’s
the most prevalent health issues globally (Waleed et al., Director-General (WHO, 2020). Heart diseases and mental
2023; Yan et al., 2022). Injuries can lead to various health disorders have been reported in athletes, sometimes
infections, including viral diseases such as tetanus and resulting in sudden deaths from heart failure or cardiac
herpes simplex, fungal infections such as Tinea pedis and arrest (Farzam et al., 2023; Han et al., 2023; Kader et al.,
Tinea corporis, and bacterial diseases such as cellulitis or 2023). Findings from previous studies establish a causal
pneumonia (DeNizio & Hewitt, 2019; Peterson et al., 2019; relationship between infectious diseases, heart conditions,
Saleh et al., 2023; WHO, 2023). Major microbial infections and psychiatric disorders (Boehme et al., 2023; Tesfaye &
can be acquired during sporting activities through injury, Tadele, 2022).
inhalation of pathogens, or direct contact (Yan, 2022; The current study hypothesizes that reported cases of
Dixon et al., 2021; Jaworski & Rygiel, 2020).
suicides or sudden deaths among athletes are caused by
Individuals can become infected not only through sports-accidental infections, associated mental illnesses,
injuries sustained during sports but also from exposure to and heart diseases. There is limited literature linking
unhealthy environments surrounding sporting activities microbiology and sporting activities to the promotion
(Herrero, 2020; Martykanova et al., 2019; Yan et al., 2022). of global peace, quality health, and entrepreneurship. To
Research indicates that athletes were injured or infected address these knowledge gaps, the main objective of this

Volume 3 Issue 1 (2025) 16 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.2904