Ten advocates from eight countries attended an NCD Alliance training in Geneva on 22 & 23 May 2019 on the margins of the 72nd World Health Assembly to increase their knowledge and advocacy skills for trans fat elimination.

Advocates representing NCD organisations and alliances from Bahrain, Barbados, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Uruguay attended an interactive two-day workshop in Geneva to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to develop impactful and effective advocacy strategies and campaign in their countries to eliminate industrially-produced trans fats (iTFAs). The training’s aims were to increase the advocates’

• knowledge of WHO’s REPLACE package and why iTFAs are a public health issue;
• coalition building and communication skills to enhance the role of civil society in support of the REPLACE package;
• understanding of legal and policy considerations regarding iTFA elimination;
• understanding of arguments commonly used by industry and how to counter them.

The advocates participated actively in the training and group work and attended the side event “Nutrition Policy Action to Save Lives: Trans Fat Free by 2023”, a side event hosted by the NCD Alliance and Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative by Vital Strategies, held at the 72^nd World Health Assembly.

Advocates came away with concrete next steps to continue their involvement in TFA elimination worldwide and in their countries.

The training was made possible through a grant to the NCD Alliance from Resolve to Save Lives. As part of this grant, the NCD Alliance works globally and nationally to help scale up proven strategies in the WHO’s REPLACE package to reduce and eliminate exposure to iTFAs and increase availability of healthier alternatives.