Saudi Gazette report
RIYADH — The World Well being Group (WHO) has formally designated the Saudi Meals and Drug Authority (SFDA) as its Regional Centre for Diet Collaboration for the Japanese Mediterranean Area, which encompasses 22 nations.
In accordance with an SFDA press launch issued on Tuesday, this recognition highlights the authority’s intensive efforts in implementing sturdy meals and vitamin insurance policies. These insurance policies are designed to boost public well being, enhance high quality of life, and scale back the prevalence of non-communicable ailments.
This designation goals to bolster the event of wholesome meals methods and promote more healthy life via improved dietary behaviors. The centre can even considerably contribute to constructing the capability of WHO Member States, serving to them implement key WHO methods. These embrace lowering salt and sugar consumption, eliminating partially hydrogenated oils, proscribing the advertising and marketing of low-nutritional worth meals to kids, and growing a complete regional database of dietary parts, forming a basis for evidence-based suggestions.
This appointment additionally highlights the SFDA’s distinguished experience and confirmed observe report in making use of nutrition-related insurance policies and laws that foster more healthy meals environments. It aligns instantly with the targets of the Well being Sector Transformation Program, a core initiative of Saudi Imaginative and prescient 2030.
The WHO has notably praised Saudi Arabia’s strategy to eliminating partially hydrogenated oils from meals merchandise, citing it as a best-practice suggestion. Because of this, Saudi Arabia acquired an official certificates of recognition and now leads a global working group devoted to replicating this success globally. Moreover, the Kingdom is acknowledged as among the many first nations to successfully scale back salt consumption and implement related laws and regulatory measures.
To attain its bold targets, the centre will obtain substantial help from WHO, together with scientific and technical experience, evidence-based steering instruments, reference supplies, and permitted coaching content material. It’s going to additionally coordinate intently with regional knowledge facilities and implement its targets via strategic initiatives.
These embrace organizing workshops for decision-makers on coverage improvement, monitoring and evaluating progress, forming skilled scientific groups and process forces, and growing a complete regional framework and motion plan.