Statement to the 158th WHO Executive Board - Primary Health Care

The World Obesity Federation calls on Member States to accelerate action on obesity as an integral component of primary health care. One billion people globally are living with obesity, and nearly four billion are projected to be affected by overweight and obesity within the next decade.

Obesity services, spanning prevention, management and treatment, are increasingly essential to resilient health systems. Addressing obesity begins with recognising it through routine monitoring to assess population burden and risk, and requires sustained investment across the life course.

Integrating obesity prevention and care into primary health care (PHC) as part of universal health coverage (UHC)  is especially critical in low- and middle-income countries, where prevalence is rising fastest and inequities are widening.

We commend the efforts of governments working with WHO, on theAcceleration Plan to Stop Obesity to embed obesity within PHC. We urge all Member States to implement equitable access to a full continuum of obesity prevention and care within UHC, in line with WHO recommendations on obesity.