To promote public health policies and the union of common goals, healthy environments promote healthy choices.
ACT contributes with advocacy for public policies oriented at the prevention of NCDs and at the promotion of healthy lifestyles. Over the years, ACT has contributed with important advances in public health in Brazil.ACT Promoção da Saúde (ACT Health Promotion) was founded in 2006 with the aim of working for public policies in tobacco control, following the recommendations of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).
In 2014, ACT also started working on the prevention of other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), promoting healthy eating, physical activity and the control of abusive alcohol use.
ACT's main focus is to promote advocacy and public policies aimed at creating healthy environments that, in turn, promote healthy choices.
NCDs are responsible for 70% of deaths in Brazil. The country has faced a decrease on tobacco use due to implemented public policies - many of which were promoted by ACT Health Promotion - but obesity and overweight have been increasing in recent years. Food and beverage industries, as well as the tobacco industry, have a strong influence nationally.
NCDs prevention and control depends on government commitment with national and international goals and on civil society monitoring and pressure, carried out by ACT via advocacy efforts, in order to ensure advances in public health policies, as well as to guarantee established rights, such as access to the universal health system.
ACT aims to strengthen civil society capacity to advocate for the full implementation of the Brazilian Strategic Action Plan to tackle NCDs, as well as to improve the capacity to link global commitments with national goals, supporting strong international commitments for public health and sustainable development.
Advancing as a civil society alliance is important to promote the adoption of effective policies, such as the promotion of healthy food systems, taxation and strong regulation on unhealthy products, such as tobacco, alcohol and ultra-processed foods.
Rua Batataes, 602, cj 31
São Paulo 01423-010
Brazil
After a five-year wait, Brazilian civil society is cheering a Supreme Court decision that a regulatory agency has the power to ban additives and flavours in tobacco products.
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