WHO endorsement

WHO endorsement

Nutritional sufficiency and adequacy had always been of major importance to the world health organization (WHO). Over the last decade, action has been taken to improve nutrition in the Eastern Mediterranean region by the Regional strategy on nutrition 2010-2019. ¹ Furthermore, the WHO had focused on food composition data throughout the years, attempting to improve nutrition surveillance systems and thereby overall nutritional health. In September 2016, the WHO organized a meeting in Rabat, Morocco to standardize food data of the region, determine inadequacies, and plan future strategies to unify food data across the Eastern Mediterranean region. ² Recently, in 2019, the WHO has introduced a new plan of action to achieve food security, end all forms of malnutrition and improve nutrition throughout the life course by 2030. To:

• improve nutrition throughout life course, including for mothers, infants, children, adolescents and older people;
• prevent undernutrition, overweight, obesity and diet-related NCDs;and
• support and protect nutrition in emergency situations.³

Therefore, as EMFID serves as a platform of food data of the region, in 2021, the WHO endorsed the project and served as a vessel for inter-country communication, regional training, capacity building, and scientific collaboration.