Congress theme

Questioning the Solutions: has the Decade of Nutrition delivered?

In 2016, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 2016 to 2025 the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition  (the Decade), with six broad focus areas to guide member States . The aim of the Decade was to accelerate country implementation of 2014 ICN2 commitments to end hunger and to eliminate malnutrition in all its forms , to achieve the 2025 global targets for maternal, infant and young child nutrition  and NCD risk factors  and to contribute to meeting Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 .

Today 900 million people go to bed hungry, and 3.1 billon cannot afford a healthy diet. Current dietary trends based on unhealthy and unsustainably produced food will exacerbate health and environmental risks to people and planet . Obesity and the global burden of non-communicable diseases is predicted to worsen  and the effects of food production on greenhouse-gas emissions, biodiversity loss, and water and land use will reduce Earth systems stability .

Throughout the Decade, WPHNA have argued for a greater focus on human rights and public interests in the Decade , stressing the need for urgent attention to social, economic, political and environmental determinants of nutrition. WPHNA envisions a focus on advancing the rights of the disadvantaged and marginalized groups most affected by malnutrition18, with human rights providing the best framework for policy coherence and partnerships across the many sectors needing to act to address malnutrition’s root causes .

The UN Food Systems summit in 2021 ignored public interest CSO inputs and thus failed to adequately recognise the role of local food systems, agroecology, and sovereign food knowledge as a solution to address food security, instead moving towards strengthening the prevailing industrial food system and power of multinational food companies .

Congress sub-themes

Sub-themes for the congress are drawn from the six Action Areas for the Decade of Action on Nutrition, to explore how they have been applied in global, regional, national and local initiatives and what lies ahead.

The Congress program will provide opportunities for lively and productive discussions and contributions from across sectors and regions that have realistic potential for action to influence public health nutrition.

We invite abstract submissions related to research, policy or practice under the following Congress sub-themes:

1. Sustainable, resilient food systems supporting health.

2. Health systems delivering optimum nutrition.

3. Social protection to ensure food security for all.

4. Trade and investment for improved nutrition.

5. Safe and supportive environments for nutrition.

6. Strengthened governance and accountability for nutrition.

7. Building capacity for public health nutrition action.

Abstracts that also address the following will be prioritized:

a. Human rights, citizen engagement, and action for public interest.

b. Partnerships and alliances that shift power to those most affected.

c. Cross-sectoral actions free from conflict of interest.

d. Climate change and planetary boundaries.

Congress objectives

The overall objectives of WPHN Congress 2024 are to:

• Foster an effective interaction between leading activists, academics, researchers, practitioners, policy makers and communities to challenge current solutions to health and nutrition issues.

• Engage academics and policymakers in advancing the rights of disadvantaged and marginalized groups.

• Enable active debates between key policy makers, practitioners, communities and researchers on policies and programmes that are appropriate, effective, and acceptable to those most afflicted.

• Strengthen capacity for action of the public health nutrition workforce through knowledge transfer, skills development, and establishment of action networks and support systems.

• Denounce corporate capture and conflicts of interest in the planning and execution of global public health nutrition policies and solutions, and thus to raise concern about this by global public health nutrition actors.

Target audience

The Congress aims to facilitate global, inclusive and diverse conversations on addressing the gaps in public health nutrition knowledge, policy and action.

Attendees will include academics and researchers, policy makers, practitioners and activists who now or in future will have a significant role in shaping the food and nutrition policy landscape globally, regionally or nationally.

The Congress is also expected to enhance collaboration among professionals engaged in sectors such as food security, food systems and value chains, nutrition and dietetics, health systems targeting non-communicable diseases, water and sanitation, food sciences, agriculture, economics, environment, and social policy, among others.

Program content and structure

The program will run over four days with pre-congress workshops, symposia, keynote speakers, expert panel discussions, short oral presentations, posters, and field trips.  Some sessions will be available online for remote participants.

Working groups before and during the Congress will identify priority issues from each theme and recommendations for research, policy and action following the Congress.

Co-hosts

The World Public Health Nutrition Association is proud to partner with the University of Westminster to plan and deliver the 2024 Congress.

We aim to identify priority issues that will become the focus for WPHNA and UoW policy, as well as for research, advocacy and action following the Congress.