With thanks to WHO colleagues. 'The draft political declaration of the fourth high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being is scheduled for adoption at the UN General Assembly today, Monday, 15 December at 15:00 (New York time)'. Livestream: https://webtv.un.org/en
The declaration includes the following clauses that are especially relevant to HIFA:
[1] (e) promote healthy diets and reduce unhealthy diets, overweight and obesity through measures such as: (i) promoting increased availability and affordability of nutritious food and information on healthy eating including through promoting efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems... providing nutritional information to consumers, such as through frontof-pack labeling;
[2] Create health-promoting environments through action across government...
Increase health literacy and implement science and evidence-based, sustained best practice information, and age appropriate communication programmes, across the entire population and life course, to: (i) educate the public about the harms of tobacco and nicotine use, the harmful use of alcohol, and air pollution; (ii) promote healthy diets such as through food and nutrition education; (iii) promote physical activity, including physical education and sports, and reduce children’s screen use, with links to school and community-based programmes; and (iv) promote healthy life skills, social participation, resilience and mental health and well-being;
[3] Address the impact of misinformation and disinformation around the prevention and treatment of noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions and their risk factors, including by increasing health literacy and regulating the digital environment in a manner consistent with national and international law to protect especially children and young people
Best wishes, Neil
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org