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Public health news from around the WHO European Region.
September 2024
In this issue you will find:
Four industries cause 2.7 million deaths every year;
World No Tobacco Day: youth in focus;
High rates of alcohol consumption in the WHO European Region;
New report: diets and physical activity among children and adolescents;
VIDEOS: NCD-related policies that help countries reach global commitments;
NEW REPORT
Commercial Determinants of NCDs in the WHO European Region
This report highlights the significant impact of commercial factors on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the WHO European Region, with nearly 7 500 deaths a day attributable to factors such as tobacco, alcohol, processed foods and fossil fuels.
This report examines how commercial interests create barriers to good health, and how the strategies used by commercial actors negatively influence NCD-related policies at national and international levels.
"WHO/Europe will work with policy-makers to strengthen tactics to protect against and reduce harmful industry influence. Today, we provide indisputable evidence of harmful commercial practices and products, and we say: people must take precedence before profit, always." MORE HERE
WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY
In 2024, World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) focused on youth who are being aggressively targeted by the tobacco industry
The main goal of the World No Tobacco Day 2024 campaign was to give a platform to young people across the world, who are urging governments to shield them from predatory tobacco marketing tactics.
WATCH VIDEO
Peering through tobacco’s smokescreen: young people fight for clarity and freedom
World No Tobacco Day awards 2024: champions of the tobacco-free future in the WHO European Region
The 2024 WNTD awards celebrate 6 exceptional people and organizations from the WHO European Region who are leading the fight back. From exposing deceptive marketing campaigns used to target youth (including through engaging social media influencers) to advocating for stricter regulations on e-cigarettes and nicotine products, these champions are making a significant difference.
COUNTRY STORY
Have you heard of white snus? A Swedish tobacco control activist rings the alarm
“There is a lot of talk about Sweden becoming smoke-free, but this is a narrative that has been created by the tobacco industry,” warns Helen Stjerna, leader of the Swedish non-profit foundation, A Non-Smoking Generation. The organization has been working for 45 years to reduce the number of young people in the country who start using tobacco.
Adults in the European Region consume on average 9.2 litres of pure alcohol every year – making them the heaviest drinkers in the world
There has been little or no progress in reducing alcohol consumption and harms in Europe, according to WHO. Based on the latest available data from 2019 in the recently published “Global status report on alcohol and health and treatment of substance use disorders”, the WHO European Region, covering 53 Member States across Europe and Central Asia, has the unfortunate distinction of consuming the highest amount of alcohol per capita in the world. MORE HERE
NEW FACT SHEETS
Health warning labels on alcoholic beverages in the WHO European Region in 2024
Taxes and prices of alcoholic beverages in the WHO European Region in 2022
COUNTRY STORY
Tackling a long-running challenge: Greenland is developing recommendations for a national alcohol policy
The Government of Greenland, known as Naalakkersuisut, in collaboration with the Centre for Public Health in Greenland and WHO/Europe, have launched a project to develop recommendations for a new national alcohol policy, addressing a long-running public health challenge.
NEW REPORT
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the daily routine and behaviours of school-aged children: results from 17 Member States in the WHO European Region
A new report from WHO/Europe confirms what has long been suspected: a link between the COVID-19 pandemic and increased rates in obesity among children 7 to 9 years old.
The publication, titled “Report on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the daily routine and behaviours of school-aged children: results from 17 Member States in the WHO European Region”, presents research showing that the pandemic led to more screen time and less physical activity, mirroring an increase in overweight children in the same age range. MORE HERE
NEW REPORT
WHO/Europe and the Iodine Global Network urgently call for iodine fortification of salt and plant-based dairy alternatives
The increasing popularity and availability of plant-based alternatives to key sources of iodine, such as milk, dairy, and fish, is contributing to persistent and increased insufficient iodine intake in the WHO European Region, according to a report released today by WHO/Europe and the Iodine Global Network (IGN). This increases risks for people’s health, particularly for women during pregnancy who have higher iodine needs. MORE HERE
BREASTFEEDING: COUNTRY EXPERIENCE
Republic of Moldova’s Breastfeeding Caravan empowers women and protects infants through open conversations
Every year, on 1–7 August, the Republic of Moldova celebrates World Breastfeeding Week as a country-wide effort to empower mothers and protect infants. That is the idea behind the Breastfeeding Caravan, a WHO-supported project that connects the country’s regions, increasing awareness about the benefits of breastfeeding among people of all backgrounds, ages and genders.
NEW REPORT
Action on salt and hypertension: reducing cardiovascular disease burden in the WHO European Region
Most people in the WHO European Region consume far too much salt, and more than one in three adults aged 30–79 has hypertension, the medical term for high blood pressure. This matters because high salt intake raises blood pressure, which is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes. A new WHO/Europe report “Action on salt and hypertension” calls for an integrated approach to reduce salt intake and improve detection and control of hypertension to protect people’s health. MORE HERE
NEW REPORT
Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) report volume 4: a focus on adolescent physical activity, eating behaviours, weight status and body image
A new report released by WHO/Europe reveals alarming disparities in the health of young people across the WHO European Region, with those from less affluent families disproportionately affected. The report, based on data from 44 countries participating in the HBSC study, highlights unhealthy eating habits, rising rates of overweight and obesity, and low levels of physical activity among young people, all of which are significant risk factors for a range of noncommunicable diseases including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer. MORE HERE
The findings of the HBSC study also have implications for achieving global health targets, such as those of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In particular, the report’s focus on adolescent health aligns with SDG target 3.4, which urges countries to reduce premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases by one third by 2030.
WATCH THE VIDEO
15th conference of the European network for the promotion of health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA Europe)
19 – 21 August 2024 | Dublin, Ireland
The objective of the conference was to engage and connect scientists, leading experts, policy-makers, professionals and other stakeholders to enhance and facilitate the implementation of knowledge in the field of health-enhancing physical activity, and to provide a forum for sharing the latest scientific, practice and policy developments in Europe and beyond.
We brought together:
- 420 attendees: policy makers, practioners and academics
- 39 countries
- Over 220 abstracts across 20 themes
COUNTRY STORY & VIDEO
Walking football in Portugal adds life to years
Portugal is exploring new ways to use sports to make people’s lives more fulfilling and healthier. Walking football teams empower older adults to join a game that increases physical activity levels, protects from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and creates a vital community bringing together different generations.
Climate change & NCDs
💬 “Every year, air pollution kills 7 million people worldwide!”
Environmental risk factors are major drivers of NCDs such as cancer, cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases.
Francesca Racioppi, Head of the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health (Bonn, Germany) explains that with the right policies, we can mitigate climate change and bring down NCD-related deaths. That’s one of the effective ways to reach the UN SDG goal 3.4 that recommends reducing by one third premature mortality from NCDs by the year 2030.
To learn more, read the new WHO/Europe article published by The Lancet:
