Why obesity must be a global priority - A view from Cameroon

The cost of inaction on obesity is rising fast, and for countries like Cameroon, the impact is already visible.

At CBCHS, we witness every day how undiagnosed or untreated obesity contributes to devastating outcomes: strokes, complications from chronic diseases, and the silent suffering of those living with it. People leave the hospital with a diagnosis of malaria or pneumonia, or just lower-body joint pain. Still, the obesity they live with goes unnoticed, until it’s too late when they return with a stroke.

This is why the 2025 UN High-Level Meeting (HLM) on NCDs must mark a turning point.

At CBCHS, we’re committed to making the most of this moment. Given the means, we’re joining the HLM campaign through the Know Your Numbers (KYN) service to do:

• Community mobilisation in churches, schools, health centres, and social spaces.
• Policy advocacy through roundtables and alliances with government and civil society.
• School engagement to build lifelong habits of health and prevention.
• Media outreach to highlight voices from our communities and amplify their experiences.

We know that no one organisation can address obesity alone, as the exposures that lead to obesity also come from several sources. That’s why we’re building coalitions across sectors, across regions, across the world to benefit from each other’s strengths to make the world a healthier place. The time for collective action is now.

This is more than a campaign - it’s a movement for health justice, and we are proud to be part of it.