Multisectoral workshop for healthy eating and physical activity

A workshop for healthy eating and physical activity involved a wide range of sectors in identifying priority areas for action based on the WHO guide for population-based approaches to childhood obesity.

The workshop aimed to develop implementation plans for the priority actions of the food and nutrition action plan for Malta.  Representatives of different sectors, such as health, public education, community, sports and physical activity, food production, research and science participated at the workshop. WHO technical experts facilitated the multisectoral group discussion in setting priority actions and identifying roles and responsibilities of the different sectors. As a result of the workshop, main areas were defined and draft action plans were developed to promote healthy diets and prevent obesity at the population level.

A key outcome of this meeting was discussion among some of Malta’s major stakeholders of a national action plan to promote a healthy diet and prevent nutrition-related noncommunicable diseases and other forms of malnutrition.

The two-day national workshop was held on 25-26 October in Malta and organized by the WHO/Europe Division of Noncommunicable Diseases and Health Promotion with the support of WHO headquarters. It was co-organized by the Maltese Ministry of Health, the Elderly and Community Care.