SEA/RC69/16Rev.3: Strategic action plan to reduce the double burden of malnutrition in the South-East Asia Region 2016-2025

Abstract

Malnutrition in all its forms threatens human development. Both undernutrition and overweight and obesity throughout the life course are public health problems in the WHO South-East Asia Region, affecting Member States to varying degrees. Undernutrition, including micronutrient deficiencies, contributes to about 45% of preventable deaths of children under five years of age annually, while overweight resulting from unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyle underpins high rates of noncommunicable diseases (‎NCDs)‎ in Member States. Therefore, urgent attention is needed to reduce malnutrition. While the previous Regional Nutrition Strategy, “Addressing malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies (‎2011–2015)‎”, emphasized a multisectoral approach (‎SEA/RC64/R4)‎, it cannot adequately address the current need in the Region to tackle both undernutrition and overweight and obesity. Many global actions and policies have focused attention on the rise of overweight and obesity, including the recent Sustainable Development Goals agenda, which calls for an end to all forms of malnutrition. In response, the WHO Regional Office, in consultation with Member States, has developed a Strategic Action Plan to Reduce the Double Burden of Malnutrition in the South-East Asia Region 2016–2025, through extensive consultation with Member States, technical experts and WHO country offices and headquarters. The Plan focuses on creating an enabling environment that will facilitate the implementation of interventions focused towards both undernutrition and overweight and obesity. The attached Working Paper was presented to the High-Level Preparatory (‎HLP)‎ Meeting for its review and recommendations. It was discussed that the title of the Regional Committee agenda item may be reflected as “Strategic Action Plan to Reduce the Double Burden of Malnutrition in the South-East Asia Region 2016–2025”. The recommendations made by the HLP Meeting for consideration to the Sixty-ninth Session of the Regional Committee are as follows: Actions by Member States (‎1)‎ Propose a resolution based on the Draft Regional Strategic Plan to Address the Double Burden of Malnutrition in the South-East Asia Region at the Sixty-ninth Session of the Regional Committee for South-East Asia in September 2016. (‎2)‎ Use the draft plan – based on the national context in each country – as an advocacy and reference tool to guide the process of updating national plans and strategies to address the double burden of malnutrition. Actions by WHO (‎1)‎ Provide technical guidance and support to Member States for adapting and revising their policies and plans on nutrition to address the double burden. (‎2)‎ Support operationalizing of actions to address the double burden of malnutrition through technical support to mobilize resources, develop capacity, and frame and enact new legislations and regulations based on country-level contexts and specificities. (‎3)‎ Adapt and develop region-specific tools and frameworks to support development of an enabling environment for implementation of evidence-based nutrition interventions. This Working Paper and the HLP Meeting recommendations are submitted to the Sixty-ninth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia for its consideration and decision.