Nutrition profile for countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region with different income levels: an analytical review
Publication date: 2023
A recent analytical review of the WHO's EMR reveals a persistent double burden of malnutrition, with undernutrition coexisting with increasing overweight and obesity rates. The review, which divides EMR countries into four income groups, examines trends in key nutrition indicators over the past 20 years, including stunting, wasting, overweight, obesity, anemia, and breastfeeding practices. Findings indicate a decrease in stunting and wasting across all income groups, but a rise in overweight and obesity in most age groups. The review emphasizes the need to address data scarcity and support countries in implementing effective policies and programs to combat the double burden of malnutrition in the EMR.
Enabling food environment in kindergartens and schools in Iran for promoting healthy diet: is it on the right track?
Publication date: 2021
Enabling policies related to kindergarten and school food environments can be effective approaches in preventing childhood obesity. This study investigated policies and/or programmes with direct or indirect effects on the food environment in kindergartens and schools in Iran. These programmes have helped to control food availability in schools, increase nutritional awareness, positively influence physical function and school performances, and reduce malnutrition in rural kindergartens. However, improving the food environment in schools and kindergartens requires proper revisions and local adaptation of many of these policies, strengthening of cross-sectoral collaborations, provision of necessary financial and human resources, and ensuring regular monitoring and evaluation.
Implementation of WHO recommended policies and interventions on healthy diet in the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region: from policy to action
Publication date: 2020
Noncommunicable diseases are responsible for almost two-thirds of the deaths in the 22 countries and territories of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region and unhealthy diets are a major contributor. Prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased among adults, adolescents and older children in recent decades. This review summarizes prevalence data and examines current implementation of regulatory, fiscal and voluntary measures to promote healthy diet across the Region and highlights where further progress in implementation is still needed.
Regional overview on maternal and child nutrition and examples of nutrition governance and policy responses: Europe, Central Asia and Eastern Mediterranean Regions
Publication date: 2019
Many regions are facing an epidemiological and nutrition transition. This has led to a double burden of malnutrition (DBM). This paper presents a summary of presentations given at a session at the International Symposium on the DBM in December 2018 that addressed the epidemiology of the DBM in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Europe and Central Asia Regions (ECAR). The paper reviews the context and provides a set of conclusions in which countries are called to act in several ways.
Implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
Publication date: 2018
Recognizing that optimal breastfeeding practices and appropriate complementary feeding improve child health, survival and development, this review assessed the implementation of The International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes in the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Assessment was conducted by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean using a WHO standard questionnaire. The review revealed that most countries need to revisit and amend existing national legislations to implement fully the Code and relevant World Health Assembly resolutions, supported by systematic monitoring and reporting.
Salt intake reduction strategies in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
Publication date: 2018
The World Health Organization has recommended salt reduction as a “best buy”, recognizing it as one of the most cost–effective approaches in preventing noncommunicable diseases and reducing cardiovascular diseases and medical costs. In the context of the global target to reduce salt intake by 30% by 2025, this review presents an up-to-date overview of the current salt reduction initiatives in the Region by highlighting regional and national policies, strategies, and activities that aim at characterizing and/or reducing the intakes of dietary salt.
Policy statement and recommended actions for lowering sugar intake and reducing prevalence of type 2 diabetes and obesity in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
Publication date: 2016
This policy statement and proposed action plan is part of the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean’s effort to reach the global targets of halting the rise in diabetes and obesity and reduce the burden of premature deaths due to noncommunicable diseases by 25% by 2025. Through a four-phased approach, this policy statement provides the steps that countries should follow to reduce sugar intake, which consequently leads to maintaining a normal body weight, avoiding type 2 diabetes and also preventing dental caries in children and adults.
Policy statement and recommended actions for reducing fat intake and lowering heart attack rates in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
Publication date: 2014
This policy statement was published in 2014 with the goal of identifying the priority actions for Member States to eliminate all industrially produced trans-fats from the food supply as well as to reduce markedly the saturated fat content of the food supply. The suggested actions are divided into three phases which span over a period of two-years from 2014 to 2015.
Policy statement and recommended actions to lower national salt intake and death rates from high blood pressure and stroke in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
Publication date: 2014
This policy statement was published in 2014, aiming to achieve progressive and sustainable reduction in national salt intake in the following 3–4 years by 25% to reduce stroke and heart disease rates within 5 years. It addresses the salt intake in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region and suggests several country-level actions for achieving salt reduction in three phases.
The urgent need to fully implement the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and relevant WHA resolutions
Publication date: 2014
This policy statement was published in 2014 aiming to urge Member States to implement in its entirety the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes and subsequent relevant World Health Assembly resolutions by developing, enacting and enforcing a national law, regulations or other appropriate measures covering all provisions in the Code, and scaling up efforts to monitor and enforce its implementation.
Related links
Other WHO guidelines on nutrition
WHO publications repository on nutrition
