On 25 September, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (UNIATF) recognized 12 countries and seven non-State actors for pioneering innovative and multisectoral approaches to tackling obesity. Their strategies ranged from fiscal policies such as sugar taxes to nationwide school meal programs and advanced digital tools, demonstrating how diverse interventions can converge to generate strong and lasting public health impact.
The 2025 UNIATF Awards were presented during the Tenth Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Task Force, convened by WHO, the Government of Egypt, and UNIATF during the opening week of the Eightieth Session of the United Nations General Assembly and the Fourth UN High-Level Meeting on noncommunicable diseases. Dr. Jeremy Farrar, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Control, highlighted that obesity is largely preventable but that global environments often make it difficult to maintain healthy weight, underscoring the importance of leadership and collective action to stop obesity worldwide.
Obesity rates have more than doubled in the past three decades, with one in eight people now living with obesity. This rise drives higher incidences of diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, and other noncommunicable diseases. The WHO Acceleration Plan to Stop Obesity provides a roadmap for decisive action, focusing on scaling up cost-effective interventions, supporting real-world implementation, driving global advocacy, engaging diverse partners, and strengthening accountability at every level.
The awards recognized a range of ministries, agencies, and non-State actors demonstrating leadership in obesity prevention and management. Honored government bodies included the Ministries of Health in Egypt, Greece, Malaysia, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Timor-Leste, and other countries, as well as national nutrition councils and specialized institutes in Mexico, the Philippines, Qatar, Seychelles, and South Africa. Recognized non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and foundations included the Belgian Association for the Study of Obesity, Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services, Obesity Matters in Canada, Red PaPaz in Colombia, the Non-communicable Diseases Alliance in Georgia, the Institute for Obesity Prevention and Control in Russia, and the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation in South Africa.
These awards highlight the urgent need to address the global obesity crisis and reinforce WHO’s commitment to supporting countries’ efforts, promoting collective action, and recognizing achievements in preventing obesity and related noncommunicable diseases worldwide.
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