"www.fao.org/about/meetings/sustainable-food-systems-nutrition-symposium The International Symposium on Sustainable Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Improved Nutrition was jointly held by FAO and WHO in December 2016 to explore policies and programme options for shaping the food systems in ways that deliver foods for a healthy diet, focusing on concrete country experiences and challenges. This Symposium waas the first large-scale contribution under the UN Decade of Action for Nutrition 2016-2025. This presentation was part of Parallel session 3.1: Designing, implementing and monitoring evidence-based policies effectively with multiple actors"

1. MONITORING THE DEVELOPMENT AND
IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICIES AND ACTIONS
TO PROMOTE HEALTHY DIET AND NUTRITION
Dr Chizuru Nishida
Coordinator, Nutrition Policy and Scientific Advice Unit
Department of Nutrition for Health and Development
World Health Organization

2. 2009-2010: 1st Global Nutrition Policy Review
 123 countries responded
 Information on nutrition governance (incl. capacities,
coordination mechanisms, surveillance)
 Assessment of policies and actions in 6 areas: 1) IYCN
(incl SAM/MAM, nutrition & infectious diseases),
2) International Code of Marketing of BMS, 3) School-
based programmes, 4) Vitamins and minerals,
5) Obesity and diet-related NCD, 6) Food security and
agriculture policies
 Data incorporated into WHO Global database on the
Implementation of Nutrition Action (GINA)
http://www.who.int/nutrition/gina/en/
 Results served as background for developing CIP-MIYCN
– Final report published in 2013
WHO's work on monitoring policies and actions
to promote healthy diets and nutrition
1993-2001: Monitoring implementation of 1992 ICN commitments
 Regular review and monitoring of country progress through regional review
meetings between 1992 - 2001
 Monitoring of development, operationalization & implementation of
multisectoral national plans of action on nutrition addressing the double
burden of malnutrition based on 9 strategic actions
 WHO Global Database on National Nutrition Policies and Programmes
2016: 2nd Global Nutrition Policy Review
 125 countries responded to date (60%) – on-going
 Information on nutrition governance (incl. capacities,
coordination mechanisms, surveillance)
 Assessment of policies and actions in 6 areas: 1) MIYCN,
2) Prevention & treatment of acute malnutrition,
3) Nutrition and infectious diseases, 4) School health &
nutrition programmes, 5) Vitamin and mineral nutrition,
6) Promotion of healthy diet and prevention of
overweight, obesity and diet-related NCDs
 Coverage/inclusion of Global Nutrition and diet-related
NCD Targets in national policies
 Data will be incorporated into GINA
 Results will contribute to:
 Monitoring of ICN2 FFA implementation
 Assessing baseline for the Decade of Action on
Nutrition

3.  101 countries have reported the total of 434 policy documents
 77 of 101 countries reported a total of 115 comprehensive
nutrition policies and strategies
Comprehensive
nutrition policy
E.g. national
nutrition policy,
national plan of
action on nutrition
(77 countries)
Focused nutrition
policy
E.g. anaemia
reduction strategy,
IYCF policy
(54 countries)
NCD/healthy diet
policy
E.g. national NCD
prevention and
management plan,
diabetes strategy
(35 countries)
Health sector
policy
E.g. HSSP, national
health plan, child
health policy
(52 countries)
Food security and
agriculture policy
E.g. food security
policy, food policy
(10 countries)
Development
plan
E.g. PRSP, national
development plan
(27 countries)
Legislation and
voluntary codes
E.g. marketing
codes, labelling laws
(16 countries)
Other
(13 countries)
How comprehensive are the national nutrition plans?
Whether food security and agriculture
policies include diet and nutrition targets?
Whether national development
plans include nutrition?
2nd Global Nutrition Policy Review
Preliminary results
No. of documents
ICN2 FFA

4.  44 countries developed comprehensive nutrition policies/plans during last
5 years
 18 countries during the last 2 years – i.e. since ICN2
Development/updating of national nutrition plans
Coverage of global targets in comprehensive nutrition policies
developed during the past 2 years (18 countries)

5.  12 food security and agriculture policy documents were reported by 10 countries
 E.g. Agriculture investment plan, Food policy, Food and nutrition security
strategy
Inclusion of diet and nutrition targets
in food security and agriculture policies/strategies
Coverage of global targets in food security and agriculture policies
(10 countries)

6.  35 development plans which include nutrition and diet components were reported by
27 countries
 E.g. Development plan, PRSP, Sustainable development strategy
Inclusion of nutrition objectives into development plans
Coverage of global targets in national development plans
(27 countries)

7. Key policy actions and measures
to promote healthy diets & nutrition
(86 countries)
% of countries

8. Regional differences in implementing key policy
actions to promote healthy diets and nutrition
% of countries
% of countries
(22 countries) (15 countries) (10 countries)
(17 countries) (10 countries) (12 countries)

9. Key messages
1. Over 60% of countries (77 countries) have comprehensive nutrition policies and
strategies
 Approximately 60% (44) of those countries have developed/updated them during the
last 5 years
 23% (18) of them have developed(updated during the last 2 years – after ICN2
2. Many food security and agriculture policies/strategies include undernutrition
related goals/targets, but not diet-related NCD goals/targets. Some have started
to include obesity concerns.
3. Incorporating of nutrition objectives/goals in national development policies is
still a challenge – when included, they are focused on IYCN, but very few on
obesity/diet-related NCDs
4. There are more countries taking actions to promote healthy diet and nutrition
 Including regulator actions (i.e. reformulation, taxation, TFA ban, restriction of marketing)
 But not in countries in Africa and South East Asia
 In all Regions, actions to change people's behaviours (i.e. dietary guidance, education,
counselling, advocacy) are implemented widely
 Implementation of nutrition labelling is increasing rapidly in all Regions

10. Acknowledgement:
WHO HQ (Nutrition Policy and Scientific Advice Unit)
• Kaia Engesveen
• Ellen Andresen
WHO Regional Offices
• AFRO: Adelheid Onyango, Hana Bekele, Elisa Dominguez
• AMRO: Cintia Lombardi, Fabio Da Silva Gomes
• EMRO: Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh
• EURO: Joao Breda, Jo Jewell
• SEARO: Angela De Silva
• WPRO: Katrin Engelhardt

11. Special Event
German Room, 13:30 – 14:45, 2 December 2016
WHO side event on:
"Meeting the challenge of a new era
for achieving healthy diets and nutrition:
Outcomes of the 2nd Global Nutrition Policy Review"