Reducing salt intake and protecting lives
Launch of the WHO Global report on sodium intake reduction
Early this month, WHO launched a report exploring the progress of countries implementing sodium intake reduction policies and their impact on population dietary sodium intake and cardiovascular disease.
Reducing sodium intake is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve health and reduce the burden of noncommunicable diseases, as it can avert a large number of cardiovascular events and deaths at very low total programme costs. All 194 Member States have committed to reducing population sodium intake by 30% by 2030, demonstrating strong consensus on sodium reduction as a lifesaving strategy, this report, however, shows that only nine countries have fully established the recommended policies to reduce sodium intake. Globally we are off track to achieve the target.
WHO calls for the rapid implementation of government-led and comprehensive mandatory sodium reduction policies and other measures, to improve health and reduce the burden of noncommunicable diseases. For the first time, a Sodium Country Score from 1 (the lowest level) to 4 (the highest level) is allocated to each Member State based on the level of implementation of sodium reduction policies and other measures. The Sodium Country Score is used to estimate the impact of policy progress on population dietary sodium intake and cardiovascular disease.
WHO Global report on sodium intake reduction
The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed this report to monitor progress and identify areas for action in the implementation of sodium reduction policies and other measures within Member States and across WHO regions and World Bank income groups.
For more details, contact Fransesco Branca: brancaf@who.int
Addressing childhood obesity
Obesity is one of the most serious global public health challenges of the 21st century, affecting every country in the Region. Obesity in adulthood is a major risk factor for the world’s leading causes of poor health and early death including cardiovascular disease, several common cancers, diabetes and osteoarthritis.
Childhood obesity is likely to continue into adulthood, which puts children at risk of developing diabetes, cancer and other NCDs. In the European Region alone, unhealthy diets cause more than 1 million deaths each year. Preventing obesity has direct benefits for children’s health and wellbeing, in childhood and continuing into adulthood.
New WHO guidelines aim to protect children from unhealthy food marketing
Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer are among the diseases linked to diets with high levels of saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, free sugars or salt. Children and adolescents are especially vulnerable to unethical food marketing through any channel – from television to online video games to social media. Such advertisements can target children aged 3 years and upwards, making it crucial to have comprehensive and clear guidelines in place on the types of food products that can be marketed to children.
For more details, contact Fransesco Branca: brancaf@who.int
Advancing oral health
Africa burdened with largest global increase of oral diseases
According to a new WHO report, around 44% of the population in the African region suffer from oral diseases, and while the region has experienced the steepest rise globally in oral diseases over the last three decades, spending on treatment costs remains extremely low. Oral health remains a low priority in many African countries, leading to inadequate financial and technical investment, which in turn undermines prevention and care services as well as oral health promotion. Around 70% of sub-Saharan Africa countries spent less than US$ 1 per person per year on treatment costs for oral health care in 2019, the latest year for which data is available. The Africa regional summary of the WHO global oral health status report released today serves as a reference for policymakers and a wide range of stakeholders. In addition, it guides the advocacy process toward better prioritization of oral health in the region to tackle this alarming oral health situation.
Global oral health status report: towards universal health coverage for oral health by 2030: executive summary
The executive summary of the WHO Global oral health status report presents a snapshot of the most recent data on major oral diseases, risk factors, health system challenges and opportunities for reform. The report’s clear conclusion is that the status of global oral health is alarming and requires urgent action. The report will serve as a reference for policy-makers and an orientation for a wide range of stakeholders across different sectors to guide advocacy towards better prioritization of oral health in global, regional and national contexts.
For more details, contact Benoit Varenne: varenneb@who.int
Regional updates
Kyrgyzstan joins European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week
Kyrgyzstan joined European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week to raise awareness about cervical cancer and to highlight the importance of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. In close collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Kyrgyzstan, the WHO Country Office in Kyrgyzstan, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Kyrgyzstan and Médecins Sans Frontières jointly organized health promotion activities on early diagnosis and screening for cervical cancer. As a result, over 350 Kyrgyz women had medical examinations to detect cervical and breast cancer and received professional medical consultation in the family medicine centres in Bishkek. In the near future, activities on early diagnosis and screening for cervical cancer will take place in other parts of the country.
For more details, contact Gauden Galea: galeag@who.int
The WHO/Europe Nutrient Profile Model
A newly published set of WHO nutritional criteria aims to protect children from marketing that promotes unhealthy food and non-alcoholic beverages. The WHO/Europe Nutrient Profile Model (NPM) enables the classification of food products to determine whether they are healthy enough to be advertised to children. It can be used by decision-makers to develop policies to improve the overall nutritional quality of diets and to support monitoring initiatives, thereby reducing pressure on children and ensuring the promotion of healthier diets to lower the risks of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
For more details, please contact Kremlin Wickramasinghe: wickramasinghek@who.int
New WHO factsheet highlights Georgia’s multisectoral approach to improving physical activity
Around 17% of adults in Georgia do not get the WHO-recommended amounts of physical activity during the day, and physical activity rates are even lower among children and adolescents. The newly launched WHO “Physical Activity Factsheet 2022: Georgia” gives an overview of the country’s current policies that may become a nationwide action plan for the promotion of physical activity. The factsheet is a tool to support policy makers and relevant stakeholders working to further the development and implementation of physical activity policies and strategies and for other countries to learn and be inspired by the current developments in Georgia.
Five childhood obesity facts about the WHO European Region
On World Obesity Day 2023 WHO/Europe highlights five trends concerning overweight and obesity among primary school-aged children in the European Region, involving 33 countries and almost 411 000 children.
- Every third child is living with overweight or obesity
- Overweight and obesity are more prominent among boys
- 75% of children eat breakfast every day
- Less than half (43%) of children consume fresh fruit daily
- Only a few countries – those with the highest initial prevalence of overweight and obesity – show a decrease
Protecting children from the harmful impact of food marketing in the Western Pacific
The Western Pacific Region is home to more than 100 million children who are overweight or obese, the highest among WHO regions. Within the region, Pacific island countries and areas have some of the highest rates of obesity in the world. Marketing of breast-milk substitutes and foods high in saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, free sugars, or salt influences children’s food preferences, requests, and consumption, and is a major contributor to rising rates of overweight and obesity in the region.
Events & News
WHO at the sixty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women
The World Health Organization (WHO) participated in the sixty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67), from 6 to 17 March 2023 at the United Nations Headquarters (UN HQ) in New York, United States of America. The CSW67 was held under the priority theme “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.”
WHO held two events at CSW67: Improving the health of women through digital innovation, technology and education; and Gender equity and rights in the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases: the role of digital health
For more details, contact Yaa Botsomtwi: bosomtwiy@who.int
Partnership for Healthy Cities Summit
On 15 March Mayors and officials from more than 50 cities across the globe met in London to address noncommunicable disease and injury prevention at the first Partnership for Healthy Cities Summit. Since the Partnership was founded in 2017, members of the 70-city global network have been implementing projects and pursuing stronger public health policies in a number of areas, including tobacco control, food policy, road safety, strengthening surveillance of NCDs and overdose prevention.
During the inaugural Partnership for Healthy Cities Summit in London, five global cities were recognized for their achievements in preventing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries. Cities are uniquely positioned to transform the fight against NCDs and injuries by implementing policies to significantly reduce exposure to risk factors.
For more details, please contact Gini Arnold: arnoldv@who.int
NCD Hard Talk: Have we already forgotten the lessons learned from COVID-19?
Let's not forget: COVID-19 may be out of sight, but access to NCD medicines is still out of reach for many. This NCD Hard Talk draws on the findings of the WHO report “Access to NCD medicines: emergent issues during the COVID-19 pandemic and key structural factors” which examined the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to NCD medicines.
Keynote speakers and panelists from across government, academia, development partners and donor agencies shared their experiences and advice on how the lessons learned from COVID-19 and related health emergencies should be incorporated into plans to ensure more resilient and strengthened access to NCD medicines and health products.
For more details, please contact Martyna Hogendorf: hogendorfm@who.int
Yes, we can end Tuberculosis in people with diabetes! Tuberculosis and Diabetes Event An NCD and Global TB Programme Collaboration
WHO is hosting a virtual event on World Tuberculosis Day, Friday, 24 March 2023, from 12:00-13:30 CET. The event aims to raise awareness of the double burden of diabetes and tuberculosis globally, call attention to the needs of people with or at risk of tuberculosis and diabetes and highlight existing WHO guidance and opportunities for strengthening the response to tuberculosis and diabetes as part of Universal Health Coverage. The event will feature leadership from the WHO Noncommunicable Disease Department (NCD Department), WHO Global Tuberculosis Programme, representatives from affected communities and civil society, Ministries of Health, donors, non-governmental organizations and technical partners.
For more details, contact Bianca Hemmingsen: hemmingsenb@who.int
Enabling the Right to Health through Universal Health Coverage for People Living with NCDs
23 March 2023 11:00 – 12:15 CET
Join governments and global thought leaders to explore how to ensure people's rights to health through Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is realised for people living with NCDs. The event will launch the NCD advocacy priorities and key asks ahead of the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting on UHC on 21 September. The HLM marks an important moment for advancing the prevention and control of NCDs, and at the highest level.
For more details, please contact Bente Mikkelsen: Mikkelsenb@who.int
AFRO webinar for the virtual regional launch of eye care in health systems: guide for action
28 March, 2023 02:00 PM in West Central Africa
For more details, please contact Prebo Barnago: barangop@who.int
News
African Countries Made Huge Gains in Life Expectancy. Now That Could Be Erased.
Noncommunicable diseases account for half of hospital bed occupancy in Kenya and more than a third of deaths. The rates are similar across the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, and people in this region are being affected at younger ages than those in other parts of the world. Incidence of illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension is climbing quickly in most sub-Saharan countries, but the conditions are rarely diagnosed or treated.
Please send your updates for inclusion in the next edition of the NCDs Newsflash: johannesa@who.int
