PAHO approves regional plan of action on trans fat elimination
07th October 2019
The 57th Directing Council, September 30 to October 4, 2019 © Pan American Health Organization
The Pan American Health Organization approved the regional plan of action on trans fat elimination and the supporting statement delivered by the Healthy Latin American Coalition at the the 57th Directing Council.
The 71st Session of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Regional Committee for the Americas and the 57th Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) took place from 30 September to 4 October 2019, in Washington D.C., USA. Member States discussed progress on several NCD-related issues, such as on adolescent and youth health, primary health care and universal health coverage in the region.
One of the highlights of the meeting was the approval of the regional Plan of Action for the Elimination of Industrially Produced Trans-Fatty Acids 2020-2025 (CD57/8). Delegates from Peru and Mexico took the opportunity to promote the need for front-of-package (FOP) labeling, with the Mexican delegate indicating that a new FOP labeling, following the Chilean model, had just been approved by the Lower Chamber in his country. The Peruvian delegate noted that his country had already banned trans fat and also had implemented a FOP labeling.
To ensure a strong civil society presence at the meeting, the NCD Alliance and the World Heart Federation (WHF) supported the attendance of Dr Beatriz Champagne, coordinator of the Health Latin American Coalition (CLAS) and Director of Advocacy for the InterAmerican Heart Foundation (IAHF), an organisation in official relations with PAHO. Dr Champagne submitted a joint statement in support of PAHO's proposed regional Plan of Action. NCDA’s support comes in the interest of leveraging our partnership with Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital Strategies, which involves advocating for the elimination of trans fat at the global and national levels.
The statement highlighted PAHO's 2008 Declaration of Rio de Janeiro and the fact that the Plan of Action will become a strategic platform to implement WHO’s REPLACE package in the Americas, and to meet WHO’s target to eliminate trans fat by 2023 and the global NCD targets.
The statement urged Member States to:
- Adopt the Plan of Action and its policy recommendations, considering their contexts and priorities;
- Enact regulations to eliminate industrial trans fats from the food supply, including enforcement, monitoring and evaluation systems;
- Accompany industrial trans fats elimination with clear and easy to interpret nutritional labelling, a policy now being adopted and discussed across the region;
- Ensure the active involvement of civil society and academia throughout the regulatory process;
- Create awareness on the negative health impacts of trans fats, and on the health gains from their elimination.
Dr Beatriz Champagne, coordinator of the Health Latin American Coalition and Director of Advocacy for the InterAmerican Heart Foundation, at the 71st Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Americas.
