Pakistan among nations at risk from toxic fat: WHO:
Pakistan among nations at risk from toxic fat: WHO
With five billion people exposed to toxic fat added to many food products, the UN health agency stated on Monday that efforts to eradicate industrially produced fat have a long way to go.
The World Health Organization called for the elimination of harmful trans fatty acids by 2023 in 2018.
They are thought to be the cause of approximately 500,000 premature coronary heart disease deaths each year.
The majority of the world remains unprotected, despite the fact that best-practice policies have been implemented in 43 countries with a combined population of 2.8 billion, according to the report.
Annual Progress Report
In an annual progress report, the WHO acknowledged that the goal was still a long way off.
Factory-made trans fat is commonly found in packaged foods, baked goods, cooking oils, and spreads.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated:
“Trans fat has no known benefit, and huge health risks that incur huge costs for health systems.”
“By contrast, eliminating trans fat is cost-effective and has enormous benefits for health,” he added.
According to Francesco Branca:
Additionally, WHO director of nutrition and food safety, trans fat elimination policies cover 3.4 billion people, or 43% of the world’s population, in 60 countries.
43 of those countries are implementing best practises standards.
The best practises include both a national ban on the production or use of partially hydrogenated oils, a major source of trans fat, and a mandatory national limit of two grammes of industrially produced trans fat per 100 grammes of total fat in all foods.
Separately, the World Health Organization issued a funding appeal in response to a number of crises around the world, including the conflict in Ukraine, the health consequences of conflicts in Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria, and Ethiopia, and floods in Pakistan.
Furthermore, The WHO has requested $2.54 billion to assist millions of people facing health emergencies around the world in 2023.
According to the World Health Organization:
There is currently an unprecedented number of interconnected health emergencies.
Furthermore, it emphasised that all of these crises coincide with major health system disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and outbreaks of other deadly diseases such as measles and cholera.
WHO chief stated:
“We’re witnessing an unprecedented convergence of crises that demands an unprecedented response.”
Pavan Manzoor is an experienced content writer , editor and social media handler along with a track record of youth-oriented activities in Pakistan and abroad. She was selected as a fully-funded delegate as a leadership fellow in Turkey. She also led a team of 5 volunteers at the week-long Young Professionals Fellowship in Maldives. She is also a member of the Youth Standing Committee on Higher Education.
