The Global Health Centre in collaboration with the World Health Organization, the Government of Croatia, and the Government of Mexico will host a side event on the WHO Acceleration Plan to STOP Obesity on 24 May 2022 in the context of the 75th World Health Assembly. 

Halting the rise in obesity is essential to combat the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCD) and improve health and wellbeing for all. This side event and high-level panel discussion will present the Acceleration Plan, which aims to consolidate, prioritize, and accelerate country-level action against the obesity epidemic through coherent and harmonized efforts. It will also be an opportunity to hear directly from countries and stakeholders by exploring their key wins, challenges, priorities in the fight against obesity, and ambitions for the acceleration plan. 

Speakers:

• Sanja Musić Milanović, First Lady of Croatia
• Naoko Yamamoto, Assistant Director-General, Division of UHC/Healthier Populations, WHO
• Francesco Branca, Director, Nutrition and Food Safety Department, WHO
• Marcelo Queiroga, Minister of Health, Brazil (online)
• María Begoña Yarza Sáez, Minister of Health, Chile
• Maria Rosario Vergeire, Undersecretary of Health, Philippines
• Peggy Vidot, Minister of Health, Seychelles
• Hugo Lopez-Gatell, Vice-Minister of Health, Mexico
• Bente Mikkelsen, Director, Noncommunicable Diseases, WHO
• Gabriele Fontana, Regional Health Adviser, ECARO, UNICEF
• Vicki Mooney, Secretary General, European Associations for the Study for Obesity
• Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director, WHO EURO

Moderator 

• Gerda Verburg, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, Coordinator of the SUN Movement

Co-organized by:

• Global Health Centre at the Geneva Graduate Institute, World Health Organization, Government of Croatia, Government of Mexico