Kremlin Wickramasinghe

Our #newbook on population level prevention of #NCDs is now published @OUPMedicine amzn.to/2losTV9 Welcome any comments or reviews

In major European economies – such as the UK, France and Germany – over 75% of people with fatty liver disease (MASH) remain undiagnosed. Without urgent action, the prevalence of advanced liver disease could see a 40% increase by 2030. This was a key focus of my meeting with the @imperialcollege team and @EASLedu leadership today in London 🇬🇧. I’m looking forward to our first Pan-European report on steatotic liver disease to map prevalence, early detection and care models – so countries can scale their response to match the magnitude of a challenge costing European health systems ~€35 billion each year in direct medical expenses. With Imperial’s designation as a @WHO Collaborating Centre on steatotic liver disease in its final stage, @WHO_Europe gains a trusted strategic partner to drive evidence into policy and real-world impact.

⏰ Last chance! Join us on 10 Feb for the WHO/Europe & JA Prevent NCDs webinar on front-of-pack labelling with a fantastic lineup of expert speakers and panelists. 🕙 10:00–11:30 CET 🔗 Register now: bit.ly/4aApBdl #NutritionPolicy #NCDs

WHO urges schools worldwide to promote healthy eating for children. Healthy food in schools helps children develop healthy dietary habits for life bit.ly/4bgJ2Zz

Great news ⁦@EUErasmusPlus⁩ theguardian.com/world/2025/dec…

I was pleased to contribute to this podcast by @FoodNationDK "Global Food Talk: How do we transform food systems to support better health for more people while reducing environmental impact? " at buzzsprout.com/248161/episode…

@EASOobesity @EuropeLiver @TomislavSokol @Europarl_EN @KremlinKW @WHO And that’s a wrap! Thanks for joining the debate and following the conversation. Keep an eye on our upcoming #eaDebates: events.euractiv.com

Heartbroken to see the catastrophic impact of severe weather, including Cyclone Ditwah, across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia & Thailand. My thoughts are with the families grieving more than 1,000 lives lost, with those still searching for missing loved ones, and with the millions who have been displaced or affected. Together with @RD_WPRO, @WHOWPRO, @BoehmeCatharina and @WHOSEARO, we at @WHO_Europe stand in full solidarity with the people of 🇮🇩 🇱🇰 🇮🇳 🇲🇾 🇹🇭, and with their health ministries and government agencies, as they confront this immense humanitarian and health crisis. My deepest appreciation goes to the first responders, health workers and emergency teams who are working under extremely challenging conditions to reach stranded communities, restore essential services and protect lives amid such devastating loss. 📷 Ishara S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images; Eranga Jayawardena/AP; Binsar Bakkara/AP; Chamila Karunarathne/EPA

Today, @WHO published a guideline in JAMA on the use and indications of #GLP1 therapies, including GLP-1 receptor agonists and GLP-1/GIP dual agonists, for the global treatment of #obesity in adults. ja.ma/48CbXFB 🧵

Thank you for the great discussion on the importance of tackling #NCDs

DG SANTE at the @WHO_Europe #RC75CPH: The fight against non-communicable diseases continues: with the upcoming ambitious European Cardiovascular Plan. It will provide impetus to WHO seminal NCD efforts in its Second Program of Work and its new Child & Adolescent Health Strategy.

Pleased to welcome our non-State actor (NSA) partners to the 2nd annual engagement event ahead of #RC75CPH. Our partnership with NSAs is vital to advancing health in the European Region. They help turn our policies and recommendations into tangible results, connect institutions with people’s lived realities, and bring expertise and innovation. A clear illustration of this was NSAs’ contribution to developing the new European Programme of Work (#EPW2). Over the past year, we have also launched and begun implementing our NSA Engagement Plan, providing a strong framework for collaboration. Today’s meeting focused on our “Ageing is Living” initiative - a priority area in #EPW2. Our vision is to build health systems and societies where ageing is seen as a privilege, not as a burden. With the insight and unique contribution of our NSA partners and friends, we will shape a strategy that is practical and grounded in reality. For more information 👉 bit.ly/3WXwwFK #UnitedActionForBetterHealth #HealthForAll

Translating WHO #NCD Best Buys into country action: introducing smarter taxes on unhealthy products, strengthening multisectoral collaboration, and investing in primary health care and public-health capacity. 🙏MOH for leadership & all stakeholders for the engagement.

On the ground in Bishkek! Kyrgyzstan is taking big strides to tackle #NCDs and strengthen #PHC. This week, our WHO mission joined the Ministry of Health and frontline PHC teams to shape a new national NCD prevention strategy bringing prevention and care closer to every community.

Luxembourg has made impressive progress in reducing premature deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs). 🇱🇺 is among 10 countries to meet the European Programme of Work target of a 25% reduction by 2025 - thanks to one of the strongest NCD treatment systems in our Region. In my meeting with Health Minister Martine Deprez, I congratulated this achievement & welcomed Luxembourg’s vision to place prevention alongside treatment, including promoting physical activity & linking #NCD prevention with primary health care. I thanked Minister Deprez for her leadership in addressing violence against women & girls and invited her to join my special initiative on this issue under the new European Programme of Work. Grateful for Luxembourg’s global health leadership as upcoming chair of #RC75, co-chairing the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs & Mental Health, and for its continued support for WHO/Europe’s NCD work. #HealthForAll

At the #UNGA side event “Quick Buys, Big Dividends”, I stressed that noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) cause 1.8 million deaths every year in the WHO European Region, which could have been avoided though prevention & timely, effective treatment. COVID-19 disrupted progress in reducing premature NCD deaths in our Region, but we know what works: “quick buys” such as taxes on unhealthy products, food labeling, HPV vaccination can deliver measurable results in under 5 years. With strong political leadership and the courage to implement evidence-based policies we can save lives, cut costs & boost productivity. Grateful to Luxembourg for hosting this important event & for its leadership in co-chairing the @UN High-Level Meeting on #NCDs & Mental Health. #HealthForAll

Belgium has achieved the 2025 target of reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 25% - a strong sign of it's commitment to health promotion & prevention. Today in Brussels, I was honoured to join Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of Belgium and Health Minister Frank Vandenbrouke at the Symposium on #obesity and #diets - to celebrate Belgium’s progress and explore the next steps in tackling obesity and diet-related health risks. Over the last decade, treatable mortality in 🇧🇪 has declined by 24%, while preventable mortality has only dropped by 11%. This makes the case for greater investment in prevention. I stressed that #Belgium has both the credibility and capacity to lead boldly on prevention. By adopting and championing stronger policies in line with WHO/Europe’s 25 “quick buys”, it can accelerate progress and protect future generations. Here are opportunities for Belgium to demonstrate its public health leadership: 💡Champion a government-led mechanism to create a real-time food composition and sales database – to help better monitor and evaluate the impact of nutrition policies. 💡 Work with @WHO to strengthen national and regional strategies to tackle conflicts of interest and protect public health policies from commercial interference. 💡 Lead at the EU level by introducing stronger NCD prevention policies on marketing, labelling, pricing, food reformulation and limiting the availability of unhealthy products. 👉 Learn more about @WHO_Europe’s NCD quick buys: who.int/europe/teams/s… #HealthForAll

Extra strong nicotine pouches sold in shops targeting children. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

In my online meeting with Lithuanian Health Minister Dr Marija Jakubauskienė, I congratulated 🇱🇹 for passing the new amendments to the Excise Law introducing excise taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages – an important step to improve population health & prevent non-communicable diseases. We had insightful discussions on our efforts to strengthen @WHO_Europe’s impact while managing financial constraints. I welcomed Lithuania’s strong support for our current country presence and deeply appreciated their commitment to continue this collaboration. I briefed Minister Jakubauskienė on how we're going back to basics with a laser focus on cost containment, innovation, resource mobilization and reprioritization. Our goal is to build the WHO/Europe of the future: scientifically strong, politically neutral, and indispensable for countries. #HealthForAll

Systems thinking means more effective policies to tackle #NCDs & better outcomes for ageing populations of the European Region and beyond. That’s the driving idea of WHO/Europe Summer School 2025! bit.ly/3IM39Cw @Ulysseus_eu @YorkUniversity @QUBelfast @Univ_CotedAzur

Off to talk to @BBCr4today about the best news in ages - the extension of Free School Meals to all on Universal Credit. In just after 7. This will give hundreds of thousands more children the food they need to learn and thrive. There is now robust evidence showing that giving children a proper cooked lunch improves academic attainment, as well as health and well being. Hungry children can’t concentrate, and fall behind. Too many children from hard-pressed families have been missing out on the nourishment they need, as well as the socialisation and pleasure that comes from eating a proper meal, together. I’m also glad the government is finally updating the school food standards. I chaired the group that wrote them back in 2014. They were a big step forward then, but they haven’t kept pace with what we now know about nutrition. Worse, they’ve often been ignored or twisted to allow ultra-processed junk to creep back in. Feeding children well is the bare minimum. But school food can be so much more — a daily lesson in how to live well. This is a great step in the right direction.