On 7 December 2021, WHO will launch the third progress report on Global trans fat elimination 2021 at a virtual high-level event.
People living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and particularly cardiovascular disease, are especially at risk of severe disease and death from COVID-19. Protecting against NCDs, including cardiovascular disease, will make populations more resilient in the face of future epidemics and pandemics. Elimination of industrially produced trans-fatty acids (TFA) can effectively reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. The urgent need for government action and policy measures to protect cardiovascular health is more apparent than ever. Since 2018 when WHO called for the global elimination of industrially produced TFA by 2023, countries are responding to this call to action, building global momentum around TFA elimination. Mandatory TFA policies are currently in effect for 3.2 billion people in 57 countries; of these, 40 countries have best-practice policies in effect, covering 1.4 billion people (18% of the global population).
In 2021, the best-practice policy came into effect in Brazil, the European Union, Peru, Singapore and Turkey. This past year also marks important milestones to narrow the policy gap between regions and country income levels. India and the Philippines became the first and second lower-middle-income countries to pass a best-practice policy.
However, despite the recent progress in policy-making for TFA elimination, no low-income countries have adopted best-practice TFA policies to date and there is still a long way to go to cross the finish line. This third annual report monitors global progress towards the 2023 target for global elimination of industrially produced TFA, highlighting achievements from the past year, and discusses challenges and opportunities for future action.
Speakers:
- Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO
- Dr Naoko Yamamoto, Assistant Director-General, Division of UHC/Healthier Populations, WHO
- Dr Tom Frieden, President & CEO, Resolve to Save Lives
- Dr Francesco Branca, Director, Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, WHO
- Dr Chizuru Nishida, Unit Head, Safe, Healthy and Sustainable Diet, Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, WHO
- Dr Fabio Gomes, Advisor, Nutrition and Physical Activity, AMRO/PAHO
- Dr Angela de Silva, Regional Adviser, Nutrition and Food Safety, SEARO
- Dr Kremlin Wickramasinghe, a.i. Head of NCD Office, and Adviser (Nutrition), EURO
- Dr Beverly Lorraine C. Ho, Director IV, Health Promotion Bureau, Department of Health, Philippines
- Dr Rabindra Abeyasinghe, WHO Representative, WHO Country Office in the Philippines
- Ms Mary Grace Anne Rosales-Sto. Domingo, Project Manager, ImagineLaw, Inc.
How to participate
- DATE: Tuesday 7 December 2021
- TIME: 10:30-11:30 AM (EST) [Check the time in other cities at the end of the page]
- Join the meeting: https://who.zoom.us/j/91674397497
- Meeting ID: 916 7439 7497
- Passcode: L@ant$Y3
Links of interests
Time correspondence
- 7:30 am. Los Angeles
- 9:30 am. – Belmopan, Guatemala City, Managua, Mexico City, San José (CR), San Salvador, Tegucigalpa
- 10:30 am – Bogota, Panama City, Havana, Lima, Nassau, Port-au-Prince, Quito, Washington DC
- 11:30 am. – Bridgetown, Castries, Georgetown, Kingston, Port of Spain, San Juan
- 12:30 pm. – Asunción, Brasilia, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Paramaribo, Santiago
- 4:30 pm. – Geneva, Madrid
For other cities, check the time in the following link.