WHO: Health service delivery framework for prevention and management of obesity (18 May 2023)

Summary

Multisectoral efforts to influence behaviours around healthy diet and exercise, while essential, have been insufficient to halt the rising prevalence of obesity. While these efforts must continue and escalate, it is now imperative to also deliver a corresponding health system response which ensures that services to prevent, treat and manage the disease are universally available, accessible, affordable, and sustainable. WHO “Health service delivery framework for prevention and management of obesity” offers a way forward.

Content

The framework integrates health and social systems responses that can be adapted according to country, context, circumstance, and need. It outlines opportunities for integrating and activating obesity interventions within already existing care pathways. This avoids the need to design and deliver new and different models for service delivery and maximizes efficiencies for health systems including minimising additional pressures on the health workforce.

The framework is also interlinked with additional interventions proposed in the priority package of the WHO Acceleration Plan to STOP Obesity. It aims to promote expanded access to obesity prevention and management services for all age groups across the life course. It is addressed to policy makers and guides the integration and organisation of obesity prevention and management services through the health system and community as critical components of universal health coverage.

The framework is based on the principles of primary health care, follows a chronic care approach, and is supported by the integration of obesity prevention and management into existing service delivery frameworks across the health care system, including communities and homes. It also supports the planning of required resources for the scaling up and sustainability of services.