Methodology and implementation of the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI).

Establishment of the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) has resulted in a surveillance system which provides regular, reliable, timely, and accurate data on children's weight status-through standardized measurement of bodyweight and height-in the WHO European Region. Additional data on dietary intake, physical activity, sedentary behavior, family background, and school environments are collected in several countries. In total, 45 countries in the European Region have participated in COSI. The first five data collection rounds, between 2007 and 2021, yielded measured anthropometric data on over 1.3 million children. In COSI, data are collected according to a common protocol, using standardized instruments and procedures. The systematic collection and analysis of these data enables intercountry comparisons and reveals differences in the prevalence of childhood thinness, overweight, normal weight, and obesity between and within populations. Furthermore, it facilitates investigation of the relationship between overweight, obesity, and potential risk or protective factors and improves the understanding of the development of overweight and obesity in European primary-school children in order to support appropriate and effective policy responses.

Evidence-based policy making for health promotion to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases in Moldova.

The Republic of Moldova faces several concurrent health challenges most notably an increase in chronic non-communicable diseases, spiralling health care costs and widening health inequalities. To accelerate progress in their resolution there is a need for new and innovative health promotion and behaviour change communication interventions. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection in collaboration with the newly created National Agency for Public Health held a conference on the occasion of the Moldovan National Day of Health Promotion on 14th March 2018 in which national and invited international experts exchanged their views on (1) best practice examples of behaviour change interventions, health promotion activities and lessons learned from the UK and elsewhere; and (2) possible ways forward for Moldova to implement cost-effective and evidence-based intersectoral health promotion programmes. The experts provided recommendations on implementing behaviour change interventions to reduce and prevent obesity; on the creation of a favourable tobacco control environment to reduce smoking prevalence; and on how physical activity programme design can benefit from health psychology research. All these strategies could foster health promotion activities and ultimately contribute to improving the health outcomes of the Moldovan population.

Analysis of public health operations, services and activities in the Republic of Moldova

The public health system in the Republic of Moldova has undergone various reforms since 1992. The inherited sanitary–epidemiological services were transformed into a broader public health service. Reorganization of the public health system will continue in the coming years, both at national and regional levels, in order to strengthen the institutional framework, building a system that can address and respond to both communicable and noncommunicable diseases. To evaluate the current public health services and to make recommendations for strengthening their capacities, an overall assessment was carried out during 2011–2012, using the WHO European Region self-assessment tool. This report presents the results of the assessment, a joint effort of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, the WHO Country Office in the Republic of Moldova, the Ministry of Health, the National Centre of Public Health, and representatives of Centres of Public Health and health institutions within the country. It addresses the major challenges in the health sector, including demographics, the low level of public health service financing, and the significant burden of noncommunicable diseases and social and health inequalities. It also argues in favour of promoting public health governance and a “Health in All Policies” approach through multi- and intersectoral collaboration, including the coordination of public health activities within the health sector and beyond it. The main conclusions and recommendations will serve as a base for the development of the National Public Health Strategy 2013–2020, a policy document for effective interventions to reduce health inequalities and improve population health.