GENEVA: The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated on Monday that in Pakistan, a significant portion of the population is still at risk from industrially-produced fats. These types of fats known as trans fats are frequently used in processed foods, baked goods, cooking oils, and spreads.
The WHO has previously called for the elimination of harmful trans fats by 2023, as they are believed to cause approximately 500,000 premature deaths annually from coronary heart disease.
According to the health organization, nine out of the sixteen countries with the highest estimated proportion of deaths caused by coronary heart disease due to the consumption of trans fats are not implementing the best policies to address this issue. These countries include Australia, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Ecuador, Egypt, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, and South Korea.
The WHO urges these countries to take immediate action and implement the best policies to address this issue. Despite 43 countries with a total population of 2.8 billion has already implemented the best policies, a majority of the world’s population is still not protected from the risks of trans fats. The WHO also requested $2.54 billion in funds to tackle this issue.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that trans fat is a harmful chemical with no benefits that should not be present in food.
The organization acknowledged that its goal of eliminating trans fat has not yet been achieved. WHO’s Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus added that trans fat poses significant health risks and leads to large costs for healthcare systems.
Funds
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is requesting $2.54 billion in funding to assist millions of people facing health emergencies around the world in 2023. The WHO is currently dealing with an unprecedented number of overlapping health emergencies, including the ongoing disruptions to health systems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and outbreaks of other deadly diseases such as measles and cholera. The WHO Director-General stated that they are facing an unprecedented convergence of crises that requires an extraordinary response.
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