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More than 170 countries will participate in a program to prevent hunger, obesity and malnutrition
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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At the II International Conference on World Nutrition, which took place in Rome, about 200 countries adopted recommendations in the field of investment and policy to ensure access of the population to healthy and regular nutrition.
At the conference, participants approved a Declaration on Nutrition and adopted recommendations to address nutritional problems among the population.
According to the declaration, every person has the right to an adequate amount of healthy and safe food, while the government undertakes to prevent deficiencies in minerals and nutrients in food, as well as obesity and hunger.
The recommendations stipulate that the primary responsibility for eliminating nutritional problems lies with the country's governing bodies. The program contains sixty points that can be included in plans for nutrition, agriculture, education, etc. In addition, the recommendations can be used as a basis for developing international agreements to improve nutrition around the world.
According to the head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, there is now enough information, experience and capacity to eliminate malnutrition and unhealthy diets.
Government must play a leading role in this, and the impetus for improving diets must come from a concerted effort involving both the private sector and civil society.
The Declaration adopted in Rome will be the starting point on the path to improving nutrition for everyone without exception.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that at this stage it is necessary to work with redoubled efforts, and he also promised support from the United Nations.
Margaret Chan (Director-General of WHO) noted that the world's production systems are currently producing the required amount of food, but at the same time, problems are emerging in the health sector.
Some people do not have access to the amount of food they need, leading to micronutrient and mineral deficiencies, disease and death.
At the same time, in another part of the world there is an excess of food, which leads to the development of obesity and related diseases.
The recommendations provide for a reporting mechanism, including tracking the progress countries have made in improving nutrition.
By 2025, the countries participating in the conference must demonstrate the results achieved during this period, including improved nutrition of nursing mothers and children under 2 years of age, and a reduction in the incidence of diseases (cancer, diabetes, infectious diseases, heart disease and vascular disease).
Established agro-industrial complexes will help to provide healthy nutrition to the population, and the government should in every possible way encourage the production of nutritious food products, in addition, the government is responsible for monitoring the safety of food products.
The declaration was developed with the participation of representatives of WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. All countries participating in the conference acknowledged that since 1992, when the first conference was held, progress in improving nutrition has been imperfect, despite certain successes in the fight against hunger.
Over the past twenty years, hunger levels on the planet have fallen by 21%, but about a billion people in the world still suffer from food shortages, which leads to malnutrition, stunted growth and development, and the development of diseases associated with nutrient deficiencies. Every year, about three million children under the age of five die from malnutrition worldwide.
According to statistics, more than two billion people suffer from hidden forms of hunger (lack of nutrients and microelements), in addition, the number of people suffering from obesity continues to rapidly increase in the world, approximately 42 million children under 5 years of age already have extra pounds, which negatively affects their health.
According to statistics, approximately half of the world's population suffers from some form of malnutrition.
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