World Obesity participates in WHO 152nd Executive Board Meeting

World Obesity Federation President and President-Elect attended the 152nd session of the WHO Executive Board in Geneva between 30 January and 7 February 2023.

In our capacity as an organisation in official relations with the WHO, World Obesity’s President Louise Baur, President-Elect Simón Barquera, CEO Johanna Ralston, and Head of Policy and Advocacy, Magdalena Wetzel, were able to participate and contribute to the recent Executive Board. 

Statements delivered by World Obesity at EB152:

Universal Health Coverage

As preparations for the Second UN High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage are underway, World Obesity remains concerned by the lack of progress to achieve UHC by 2030, as well as to meet WHO targets on NCDs. The need for equitable access to a continuum of care from health promotion and disease prevention through to diagnosis, treatment and management of obesity as part of UHC was recognised in the new WHO recommendations on obesity, adopted in 2022.

Read our statement where we call Member States to integrate essential prevention and treatment of obesity into UHC.

New NCD Best Buys

The 152^nd session of the Executive Board endorsed the draft updated menu of policy options and cost-effective interventions for the prevention and control of NCDs of the WHO global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases. We welcomed the new menu of policy options of the Global NCD Action Plan, for its particular contribution to the 2023‒2030 road map and its new acceleration plan to support Member States implement recommendations for the prevention and management of obesity, thus strengthening the investment case for many of these recommendations.

Read our joint statement here.

Social Determinants of Health (SDoH)

WHO is preparing a World Report on Social Determinants of Health Equity to be published during the 76^th World Health Assembly. Actions to address key SDoH have been insufficient worldwide, especially actions of unhealthy commodity industries, including tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food and beverage industries. World Obesity delivered a Constituency Statement on behalf of the Framework Convention Alliance on Tobacco Control, World Cancer Research Fund International, Movendi International, International Diabetes Federation and NCD Alliance. urging that stigma, false narratives and preconceptions also be addressed as part of the wider determinants to access quality health services, particularly for people living with obesity, alcohol use disorder or other mental health conditions.

Read the Constituency Statement here.