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Food taxes for a healthy diet: time for action

This policy brief provides an evidence-informed overview of health taxes on food as an effective fiscal policy to create healthier food environments, promote...

Can people afford to pay for health care? New evidence on financial protection in Italy: summary

This review assesses the extent to which people in Italy face financial barriers to access or experience financial hardship when they use health care....

Can people afford to pay for health care? New evidence on financial protection in Italy

This review is part of a series of country-based studies generating new evidence on affordable access to health care (‎financial protection)‎ in...

Accelerating the uptake of digital solutions by the health and care workforce in the WHO European Region

Digital health technologies (‎DHTs)‎ are becoming an integral part of successful and sustainable health service delivery in every Member State...

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Brief review of results from round 6 of COSI (WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative) 2022–2024

Overview

The WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) was established in 2007 to meet the need for standardized data on the prevalence of overweight and obesity among primary school-aged children. For over 15 years, it has been monitoring trends in these critical public health issues.

This factsheet presents findings from the sixth round of data collection, conducted between 2022 and 2024, which measured approximately 470,000 children in 37 countries in the Region. These are the first estimates following the COVID-19 pandemic, offering valuable insights into how the burden of childhood overweight and obesity has evolved in the post-pandemic period.

By enabling intercountry comparisons and tracking progress over time, the data collected through COSI continue to highlight the significant public health challenge posed by childhood obesity in the Region and play a crucial role for monitoring progress toward the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs in 2025, aiming to halt the rise in obesity and achieve SDG Target 3.4 to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by one-third.

WHO Team
European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative
COVID-19

COVID-19

WHO
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Latest COVID-19 publications

Documents

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Brief review of results from round 6 of COSI (WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative) 2022–2024

Overview

The WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) was established in 2007 to meet the need for standardized data on the prevalence of overweight and obesity among primary school-aged children. For over 15 years, it has been monitoring trends in these critical public health issues.

This factsheet presents findings from the sixth round of data collection, conducted between 2022 and 2024, which measured approximately 470,000 children in 37 countries in the Region. These are the first estimates following the COVID-19 pandemic, offering valuable insights into how the burden of childhood overweight and obesity has evolved in the post-pandemic period.

By enabling intercountry comparisons and tracking progress over time, the data collected through COSI continue to highlight the significant public health challenge posed by childhood obesity in the Region and play a crucial role for monitoring progress toward the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs in 2025, aiming to halt the rise in obesity and achieve SDG Target 3.4 to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by one-third.

WHO Team
European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative