Join us on Monday, October 6, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. (EDT) for the Nutrition and Physical Activity Recommendations for Better NCD Care webinar, the third webinar in a series of five certifiable webinars from the Better Care for NCDs Initiative.
Webinar Objectives
- To present the PAHO/WHO recommendations on healthy eating to support the approach to NCDs in primary care.
- To present the PAHO/WHO recommendations on physical activity to support the approach to NCDs in primary care.
- To showcase specific national experiences that illustrate the application of these recommendations in primary care services.
Certification
- Training activity certifiable by the Virtual Campus of Public Health (CVSP), with subsequent final evaluation.
RECORDING
How to Participate
- DAY: Monday, October 6, 2025
- TIME: 11:00 a.m. (Washington, D.C., time or EDT) [Check the bottom of the page for times in other cities]
- LANGUAGES: Spanish, English, and Portuguese, with simultaneous interpretation in those languages.
- REGISTRATION: https://paho-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qjVE4-OZT-W4WiNnrj8MXA#/registration
Agenda
Moderator: Lesly Samara Vejar – Malnutrition and Food Systems Technical Officer, NMH Department, PAHO
11:00 a.m. Opening Remarks
- Institutional Opening Remarks – Dr. Vanessa García Larssen – Director, Chief, Unit of Risk Factors and Nutrition, NMH Department, PAHO
11:05 a.m. PAHO/WHO Nutrition Recommendations for Better NCD Care
- Fabio da Silva Gomes – Nutrition and Physical Activity Advisor, PAHO
11:20 a.m. Country Experience on Guidance and Promotion of Healthy Eating in Primary Health Care
- Brazil: Patricia Constante Jaime – Director of the Epidemiological Research Center in Nutrition and Health (NUPENS), University of São Paulo, Brazil
11:35 a.m. Promoting Physical Activity for Better NCD Care
- Leo Nederveen – Advisor on Food, Nutrition, and Physical Activity in Schools, PAHO
11:50 a.m. Country Experience on Guidance and Promotion of Physical Activity in Primary Health Care
- Colombia: Catalina Abaunza, Physical Activity Representative at the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, Colombia
12:05 p.m. Panel Questions and Interactive Discussion
- Moderated by Vanessa Garcia-Larsen – Head of the Risk Factors and Nutrition Unit, PAHO
12:25 p.m. Closing and Final Remarks
- Vanessa Garcia-Larsen – Head of the Risk Factors and Nutrition Unit, PAHO
Series of certifiable webinars - Better Care - 2025
Title: Expanding Quality NCD Services in the Community, from an Equity Perspective
Duration of each session: 90 minutes.
Total cycle duration: The seminars will be held from September to December 2025 and will be announced 15 days in advance through PAHO's social media channels and to the emails of those registered for the series.
Assessment and Certification: Each seminar will include an evaluation through a multiple-choice questionnaire, problem-based multiple-choice situations, or surveys. A specific bibliography will be provided for each session. Completion of all five evaluations will be mandatory in order to qualify for the final certification.
Participants who attend all five seminars and successfully complete the assessments will receive a Certificate of Completion of the 10-hour CVSP Seminar Program. The certificate will indicate the total duration of the sessions, the bibliographical references, and the assessment activities undertaken.
More information on the Series of certifiable webinars
Context
In 2023, PAHO launched the Better Care for NCDs Initiative, to accelerate the integration of noncommunicable disease (NCD) services into Primary Health Care (PHC). The initiative strengthens planning, implementation, and monitoring of comprehensive NCD services, ensuring equitable access, improving diagnosis and treatment, and enhancing data management across the Region.
To meet these objectives, strengthening the capacities of health teams is key. In this context, the ongoing training of interprofessional teams becomes essential, not only to update knowledge but also to transform institutional processes and the care provided to people with NCDs. Interprofessional education (IPE) is strategic for the comprehensive approach to NCDs, promoting collaborative work and the transformation of care models. In March 2025, the Better Care for NCDs Initiative, in conjunction with the Virtual Campus of Public Health, launched the Initiative's Learning Pathways. This itinerary inaugurates a cycle of five certifiable webinars. These seminars will provide accessible, short spaces with updated content and comprehensive approaches, aimed at different professional profiles of interprofessional health teams in PHC and decision-makers at different levels of management.
- Webinar 1: Evidence-Informed Tools for Better NCD Care
- Webinar 2: Association of Social Determinants in NCDs and Examples for their Approach
Time in other cities
8:00 a.m. – Los Angeles, Vancouver
9:00 a.m. – Belmopan, Guatemala City, Mexico City, Managua, San José (CR), San Salvador, Tegucigalpa
10:00 a.m. – Bogotá, Panama City, Kingston, Lima, Quito
11:00 a.m. – Bridgetown, Caracas, Georgetown, Havana, La Paz, Nassau, Ottawa, Port of Spain, Port-au-Prince, San Juan, Santo Domingo, Washington, D.C.
12:00 p.m. – Asunción, Buenos Aires, Brasilia, Montevideo, Paramaribo, Santiago
5:00 p.m. – Geneva, Madrid
For other cities, check the local time at this link.