Statement to the 150th Executive Board - Pandemic preparedness
Strengthening WHO preparedness for and response to health emergencies
World Obesity, with support from NCD Alliance, commend WHO for their coordinated action to control the pandemic and develop recovery plans.
We have reached an important milestone in strengthening a global, coordinated response to future health emergencies.
Obesity and other NCDs are a significant risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality from COVID-19. We urge WHO to recognise that addressing these is an important part of preparedness plans, and that fast-tracking NCD, nutrition and other population health policies to improve overall health can help strengthen population resilience to future health threats.
We support the development of new tools and initiatives on pandemic preparedness and urge the Executive Board to:
- Allocate resources to ensure routine services and access to appropriate care for people living with NCDs is not disrupted in the case of future health emergencies
- Ensure the health workforce is trained to treat vulnerable populations in a culturally-sensitive, non-stigmatising way
- Ensure that prevention policies for obesity and other NCDs are implemented to support future pandemic preparedness plans
Download our statement
Statement to the 150th Executive Board - Provisional agenda item 15.1
Strengthening WHO preparedness for and response to health emergencies
Download (147.43 KB)