IFBA’s Statement on the Draft Political Declaration of the High-level Meeting on NCDs

NCDs are a serious and complex problem and there is no simple solution. Efforts to address it need the active involvement of all stakeholders. We believe that the food and non-alcoholic beverage industry has an important roletoplayinaddressingNCDsandhavecommittedtime,resourcesandexpertisetodoourpart. Wehaveand continue to: 1) reformulate and develop new products that have less fat, saturated fat, sugar and/or salt; 2) provide easy-to-understand, fact-based, nutrition information to consumers; 3) adopt responsible marketing practices including imposing strict limits on how and what we advertise to children; and 4) promote balanced diets and healthy, active lifestyles. We believe that public-private partnerships represent one of the strongest and most cost-effective ways to address public health challenges and enhance the impact of any prevention strategies. We are encouraged that the Draft Political Declaration recognizes the contribution and important role to be played by the private sector and industry; and that an effective response to the prevention and control of NCDs requires a whole of society approach and the engagement of all stakeholders. We appreciate the Chairs’ balanced approach and support for evidence-based, cost-effective, population-wide and multisectoral interventions, which allows governments the flexibility to adopt initiatives that reflect unique national circumstances and priorities. We look forward to engaging further in collaborative efforts with all stakeholders at the global, regional, national and community level to help improve public health.