Statement to the 79th World Health Assembly - Obesity and UHC

At least one billion people globally are living with obesity, yet millions continue to face stigma and limited access to evidence-based prevention, care and treatment.

Obesity is a chronic, complex disease and a major driver of other NCDs, health inequalities, and growing pressure on health systems. Universal health coverage cannot be achieved without obesity-responsive health systems.

We welcome WHO’s efforts to support countries in strengthening integrated obesity responses across the life course, including through primary health care and existing health service platforms. In line with the 2022 WHO Recommendations and the WHO Acceleration Plan to Stop Obesity, we urge Member States to ensure obesity is meaningfully reflected within national pathways towards UHC, PHC strengthening, and chronic disease strategies.

This includes strengthening health system readiness to provide a continuum of care through health promotion, prevention, early identification, counselling, psychosocial support and treatment where appropriate; improving training for healthcare professionals; addressing stigma and discrimination in healthcare settings; and expanding equitable access to evidence-based services in line with national priorities and contexts.