The 74th World Health Assembly (WHA74) commenced on 24 May 2021 and concluded its sessions on 31 May 2021. In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the event was held virtually and the European Coalition for People Living with Obesity (ECPO) Executive Director Vicki Mooney was invited to deliver a political declaration at the third high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
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World Obesity welcomes the addition of annex 11 to decision EB148 on major obstacles to achieving diabetes related targets and tabling of the resolution. World Obesity strongly supports a request to develop recommendations for the prevention and management of obesity over the life course and submit these to the next health assembly. Obesity is a cause of 80 to 85 percent of type 2 diabetes thus we will only be able to halt the rising prevalence of diabetes if obesity is controlled.
The likelihood of the 2025 MCD target plan being met is quite low. Meanwhile childhood obesity rates are nearly doubling every 10 years. Children in school are now actually developing diabetes type 2. We urge member states to recognize obesity as a chronic disease as well as a risk factor for other MCDs like diabetes to call on the WHO to conduct a review of the implementation of the report of the commission on ending childhood obesity and develop a monitoring and accountability framework to educate people centered care and ensure that people living with MCDs like myself are included in development and valuations of interventions and guidelines.
Lastly to support WHO in developing recommendations to inform future roadmap for obesity including a resolution that addresses prevention treatment and management of the disease. Thank you very much. Thank you.
The statement placed an emphasis on obesity as an NCD and a gateway to 80-85% of type 2 diabetes, and shed light on how off-track global obesity targets are, whilst urging member states to act on 4 critical points.
- To recognise obesity as a disease as well as a risk factor for other NCDs like diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases
- In-line with priority areas outlined in the Global Diabetes Compact, to call on WHO to conduct a review of the implementation of the report of the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity and to develop an implementation monitoring and accountability framework
- To advocate for people-centered care and ensure that people living with NCDs are included in the development and evaluation of interventions and guidelines
- Following the mandate from this Resolution, to support WHO in developing recommendations to inform a future roadmap for obesity, including a Resolution that addresses prevention, treatment and management of the disease
Following this statement, Member States extended the GMC/NCDs mandate to 2030 with a request “to ensure that the WHO global coordination mechanism on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases carries out its functions in a way that is integrated with the Organization’s ongoing work on noncommunicable diseases, including … as a convener of civil society, including people living with noncommunicable diseases, to raise awareness and build capacity for their meaningful participation in national noncommunicable diseases responses”
As a patient and executive director of ECPO I was humbled and honoured to deliver this statement on behalf of World Obesity, representing ECPO and EASO in Europe at this high level event.
You can find the full statement here – https://www.worldobesity.org/resources/resource-library/statement-to-the-74th-world-health-assembly-ncds