Establishment of the New WHO European Centre on the Prevention of Childhood Obesity Agreed at Summit of the Spouses of European Leaders

10. May 2023.
16:07

The Summit of the Spouses of European Leaders on the topic of childhood obesity prevention in Europe took place in Zagreb. It was organized jointly by the Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia and the Regional Office for Europe of the World Health Organization (WHO/Europe). At the Summit, the Zagreb Declaration was adopted, calling for the establishment of the new WHO European Centre on the Prevention of Childhood Obesity.

Apart from the spouse of the President of the Republic of Croatia Sanja Musić Milanović and the Executive Director of the WHO European Region Robb Butler, also participating in the Zagreb Summit were Her Majesty Queen Letizia of Spain, the spouse of the President of Latvia Andra Levite, spouse of the President of Hungary István Attila Veres, spouse of the President of Slovenia Aleš Musar, spouse of the President of Serbia Tamara Vučić, spouse of the President of Kyrgyzstan Aigul Zhaparova, spouse of the Prime Minister of Malta Lydia Abela, spouse of the Prime Minister of Albania Linda Rama and the spouse of the Prime Minister of Armenia Anna Hakobyanova. Video addresses were given at the Summit by the spouse of the President of Germany Elke Büdenbender, spouse of the President of Ireland Sabina Mary Higgins, spouse of the President of Lithuania Diana Nausėdienė, spouse of the President of Israel Michal Herzog, spouse of the President of Türkiye Emine Erdogan and the spouse of the President of North Macedonia Elizabeta Gjorgievska. Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević and Croatian Minister of Health Vili Beroš also spoke at the Summit.

The spouse of the President of the Republic of Croatia Sanja Musić Milanović, who is a member of the Advisory Council on Innovation for Noncommunicable Diseases of the WHO Regional Director for Europe and the special Working Group for the Prevention of Obesity in Children, said the following in her address: “Obesity in children is a disease of epidemic proportions and Croatia, like our entire European Region, is among the most affected. It is a disease that not only significantly impairs the health, quality of life and life expectancy of our population, but also represents a significant economic burden for our society. It is estimated that in Croatia, and in the entire European Region, more than two percent of GDP is spent on costs related to obesity. Here at the Zagreb Summit, we had the opportunity to clearly show that obesity knows no borders – it is our joint problem and we must jointly address it at the European level by involving many social sectors. I believe that the Zagreb Declaration is an important step in halting the trend of rising childhood obesity rates in the entire European Region and that by working together we will improve and preserve the health of future generations.”

On the occasion of the Summit, Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, conveyed this message: “Our children are increasingly growing up in environments that make it very difficult for them to eat well and be active. This is a root cause of the obesity epidemic. As societies and countries, we have so far failed to reverse the rising rates of childhood obesity, and that’s why the WHO team is here in Croatia, at the invitation of Professor Milanović, spouse of the President, to galvanize political support for this truly insidious public health crisis before it becomes even more difficult to address. We hope we can count on the spouses of European leaders and Heads of State to champion tackling childhood obesity in their countries and help elevate it onto political and corporate agendas, and the Zagreb Declaration issued today is an important first step. Only by working together, across cultures, sectors and political divides, will we be able to stem the tide of childhood obesity, and contribute to a healthier future for all.”

At the Zagreb Summit, the spouses of European leaders discussed the need for joint action in the field of childhood obesity prevention. The scale of the childhood obesity problem in the WHO European Region was emphasized, as well as the importance of a comprehensive approach to obesity prevention from an early age. The implementation of effective and prompt multi-sectoral public health measures was highlighted as the only path to achieving both European and national priorities related to halting the trend of rising obesity rates among people, but also to preserving and improving the health of the population. Furthermore, the launching of the network of spouses of European leaders, which would through joint efforts raise this issue higher on the political agenda in the European Region, was agreed at the Summit.

All Summit participants endorsed the Zagreb Declaration, which sent a strong political message in the area of obesity prevention in children. The Zagreb Declaration acknowledged the importance of raising awareness about obesity and how this issue affects children and future generations, and recognized the necessity of leadership and advocacy to accelerate actions to stop childhood obesity at national and international levels on all concerned platforms and relevant international fora. The necessity of a comprehensive approach and of working together on a multi-sectoral level to find innovative solutions was also endorsed.

The Zagreb Declaration highlighted a shared responsibility and commitment to include all relevant stakeholders in the process of promoting and creating healthy environments where children have access to a healthier diet and physical activity through a set of selected policy recommendations outlined in the Annex of the Declaration. Taking into consideration that systematic, multi-sectoral policy measures are required, the Zagreb Declaration recognized the need for the establishment of the new WHO European Centre on the Prevention of Childhood Obesity.

After the Summit and at the initiative of the President’s spouse Sanja Musić Milanović, the Summit participants took a joint walk to the Croatian National Theatre – on the occasion of World Move for Health Day, which is observed today – thereby sending a message about the importance of regular physical activity in maintaining overall health and preventing obesity. A programme was organized for the Summit participants in the Croatian National Theatre in which the Croatian culture and tradition were presented through dance, song and folk costumes.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta, Filip Glas