A workshop of “first mover” countries to exchange experience and identify wider policy implications for the WHO European Region
The World Health Organization (WHO) European Region continues to be severely affected by diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), obesity and, in some countries, ...micronutrient deficiencies.
In order to drive further progress on improving dietary intake and food product improvement, the WHO Regional Office for Europe, Public Health England and the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) co-convened a workshop of “first mover” countries in March 2019.
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Childhood obesity is a major public health problem globally, which could undermine progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Prevention is recognized as the most efficient means of curbing the epidemic; however, given the scale of the problem and the many children who need profes...sional support due to the severity of the disease and/or obesity-related complications, health systems all over Europe must take steps to develop obesity management systems. The aim of this project was to assess the response of health care delivery systems in 19 countries in the WHO European Region to the childhood obesity epidemic.
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Calls for greater implementation research (IR) capacity came in the wake of compelling evidence that implementation strategies are critically important for the dissemination and facilitation of evidence-informed policies and interventions to tackle noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), thereby improving ...outcomes for both individuals and populations. However, at present, implementation of evidence-based interventions and policies is challenged by a gap in lack of academic research on how these cost–effective recommended interventions can be implemented in the context of local settings, especially those of low and middle-income.
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This paper reviews the effects of vertical responses to COVID-19 on health systems, services, and people’s access to and use of them in LMICs, where historic and ongoing under-investments heighten vulnerability to a multiplicity of health threats. We use the term ‘vertical response’ to describ...e decisions, measures and actions taken solely with the purpose of preventing and containing COVID-19, often without adequate consideration of how this affects the wider health system and pre-existing resource constraints.
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This report summarizes the results of a 2018 survey of food and beverage marketing to children via television in the Kyrgyz Republic. It explores the extent and nature of children’s exposure to marketing for food high in saturated fat, free sugars and/or salt via television in the country. The stu...dy results can be used by policy-makers to restrict and regulate marketing of food high in saturated fat, free sugars and/or salt both on television and in other media.
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Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases and their risk factors are an increasing public health and development challenge in Turkey. This report provides evidence through three analyses that NCDs reduce economic output, and di...scusses potential options in response, outlining details of their relative returns on investment. An economic burden analysis shows that economic losses from NCDs are equivalent to 3.6% of gross domestic product. An intervention costing analysis provides an estimate of the funding required to implement a set of policy interventions for prevention and clinical interventions. A cost–benefit analysis compares these implementation costs with the estimated health gains and identifies which policy packages would give the greatest returns on investment.
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High salt consumption is an important determinant of high blood pressure and reducing it would improve health outcomes by lowering cardiovascular disease and therefore death rates. Reducing salt intake has been identified as one of the most effective public health measures and is one of the leading ...targets at global, regional and national levels to reduce the burden of noncommunicable diseases. The purpose of the Dietary Salt Intake Survey in the Republic of Moldova was to establish current baseline average consumption of salt (sodium), potassium and iodine through 24-hour urinary excretion testing among a random sample of the adult population (aged 18–69 years), and to assess the knowledge, attitudes, practices and behaviour around dietary salt in order to enable more efficient planning and the implementation of an effective salt-reduction strategy in the Republic of Moldova.
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This report on progress achieved in the WHO European Region and Member States in implementing the European food and nutrition action plan 2015–2020 presents selected epidemiological data on the nutritional status of populations throughout the Region and on implementation of policies recommended in... regional and global frameworks to promote healthy nutrition and prevent obesity. The data contained in the report are derived from the responses of Member States to the WHO Global nutrition policy review questionnaire.
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The WHO Regional Office for Europe has established the Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative in more than half the countries in the Region for routine monitoring of the policy response to the emerging obesity epidemic. The aim of the Initiative is to measure trends in overweight and obesity in c...hildren aged 6.0–9.9 years to get a clear understanding of the epidemic and to allow inter-country comparisons. This document outlines the common protocol agreed for use in the Initiative.
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Report of an intensive legal training and capacity-building workshop on law and noncommunicable diseases (Moscow, 30 May–3 June 2016)
The report summarizes important issues, themes and topics discussed during the meeting in Moscow, ranging from the design and implementation of legislation, reconc...iling public health objectives with international trade and investment law commitments, to examples of regional integration, such as the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union.
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This technical report presents results from the FEEDcities Project – eastern Europe and central Asia. This cross-sectional survey was conducted in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan in October 2016 to evaluate the local urban food environment. It characterized the vending sites, the food offered and the nutri...tional composition of the industrial and homemade street foods available in these settings. It also described the nutritional composition of ready-to-eat foods sold in supermarkets and at vending sites in food courts. The policy implications of the findings are outlined.
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This technical report contains the results from the FEEDcities Project – Eastern Europe and Central Asia, a cross-sectional survey of the local urban food environment conducted in Chișinău, Republic of Moldova between June and August 2016. It characterizes the vending sites, the food offered and... the nutritional composition of both industrial and homemade street foods. It also describes the nutritional composition of foods sold in supermarkets and fast-food outlets.
The study was conducted within a bilateral partnership between the World Health Organization and the Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto, in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences and the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Porto (WHO registration 2015/591370 and 2017/698514). The study was funded through a voluntary contribution of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.
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This technical report describes the results of a cross-sectional survey conducted in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, between April and May 2016, as part of the FEEDcities Project – Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The aim was to describe the local street food environment: the characteristics of the vending ...sites, the food offered and the nutritional composition of the industrial and homemade foods usually consumed in these settings.
The study was part of a bilateral partnership between WHO and the Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto, Portugal, in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences and the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Porto (WHO registration numbers 2015/591370 and 2017/698514).
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This technical report presents the results of a cross-sectional survey conducted in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, between June and July 2016, as part of the FEEDcities Project – Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The aim was to describe the local street food environment: the characteristics of the vending si...tes, the food offered and the nutritional composition of the industrial and homemade foods often available in these settings. The report also provides guidance for policies to translate the findings into action.
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This technical report presents the results of a cross-sectional survey conducted in Banja Luka, the Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, between July and August 2017, as part of the FEEDcities Project (Food Environment Description in cities – eastern Europe and central Asia). The aim of the r...eport is to describe the city’s local street food and takeaway food environment, exploring the characteristics of food vending sites, the industrially produced and homemade foods they typically offer, and the nutritional composition of these foods. Finally, the report provides guidance on how to address its findings through policy action.
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This technical report presents results from the FEEDcities Project – Eastern Europe and Central Asia, a cross-sectional survey conducted in Almaty, Aktau and Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan, between July and August 2017, to evaluate the local street food environment. It characterized the vending sites, the ...food offered and the nutritional composition of the industrial and homemade foods available in these settings. The policy implications of the findings are outlined.
The study was conducted within a bilateral partnership between WHO and the Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto, in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences and the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Porto (WHO registration 2015/591370 and 2017/698514). The study was funded through a biennial collaborative agreement and joint programmes between the Government of Kazakhstan and United Nations agencies in Kazakhstan for Kyzylorda and Mangystau oblasts, a voluntary contribution by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation and the Resolve to Save Lives project of Bloomberg Philanthropies.
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9 September 2020
In a snapshot, fair allocation of vaccines will occur in the following way:
An initial proportional allocation of doses to countries until all countries reach enough quantities to cover 20% of their population
This document is also available in Arabic | Chinese | French | R...ussian | Spanish | Portuguese
A follow-up phase to expand coverage to other populations. If severe supply constraints persist, a weighted allocation approach would be adopted, taking account of a country’s COVID threat and vulnerability.
The document is a final working document and may be adjusted in the future as new information about the vaccines and the epidemiology of COVID-19 becomes available.
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Guidance for addressing a global infodemic and fostering demand for immunization
December 2020
Misinformation threatens the success of vaccination programs across the world. This guide aims to help organizations to address the global infodemic through the development of strategic and well-coordina...ted national action plans to rapidly counter vaccine misinformation and build demand for vaccination that are informed by social listening.
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Working Document Nov. 2020
The COVAX Supply and Logistics workstream lead by UNICEF, Gavi and WHO have released a working copy of the COVID-19 Vaccination, Country Readiness & Delivery: Supply and Logistics Guidance. Countries might find this Guide useful when developing and strengthening their sup...ply chain strategies to receive, store, distribute and manage the COVID-19 vaccines and their ancillary products, in line with their national deployment and vaccination plan (NDVP). The document also provides links to the different tools and resources to aid countries in performing assessment, planning and capacity-building activities.
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