Global RECAP – Promoting healthy diet and physical activity

NCDs kill 41 million people each year and its economic consequences are staggering. Unhealthy diet and physical inactivity has become the number one risk factor for overweight, obesity and consequently NCDs. Particularly in low- and middle-income countries, obesity and overweight are increasing, particularly among poor populations and children/adolescents. Implementation of regulatory and fiscal measures to reduce risk factors for unhealthy diets and physical inactivity has so far been slow and insufficient, due to the lack of legislative and regulatory expertise and capacity at national level.

Swiss expertise will be embedded in the project through the WHO Collaborating Center for Physical Activity at ETH Zürich, and through Swiss expertise in the field of public health and law.

Direct beneficiaries will be government officials and representatives from civil society organisations and academic/research institutions from Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Ultimate beneficiaries are individuals and their households, communities and societies in programme countries which have poor diets and inadequate physical activity. As risk factors and NCD prevalence are usually higher amongst the poor and disadvantaged, the proposed reforms are expected to benefit these groups.

1. Strengthened capacity of government officials, regulators, policymakers and civil society to understand, develop and implement regulatory and fiscal measures that promote healthy diets and physical activity;
2. Strengthened national and international multi-stakeholder collaboration to support regulatory and fiscal environments that promotes healthy diets and physical activity;
3. Increased generation and use of relevant evidence and research from different disciplines to develop and implement effective regulatory and fiscal measures to promote healthy diets and physical activity.

Expected results:  

1. A capacity building package for relevant stakeholders to understand, develop and implement regulatory and fiscal measures that promote healthy diets and physical activity designed and delivered.
2. A multi-disciplinary community of lawyers, researchers, civil society, policy-makers and community representatives to support evidence-driven measures that promote healthy diets and physical activity established.
3. International evidence developed and / or analyzed to support the design and implementation of an effective capacity building package under Output 1.

Partner Agreement: International Development Law Organisation (IDLO)

MoU: World Health Organisation (WHO), IDLO, International Development Research Centre (IDRC), OPEC Fund for Development (OFID)

Phase 1 17.09.2017 - 30.06.2022   (Completed)