MEDIA ADVISORY: Signing of partnership on obesity control between WHO and the Gasol Foundation, followed by a press conference on outcomes of the Madrid Global Obesity Summit - Wednesday, 28 October 2026

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Click here Tuesday, 27 October 2026  MEDIA ADVISORY  WHO and Gasol Foundation to sign agreement to advance action on childhood obesity at Madrid Global Obesity Summit   When: Wednesday, 28 October 2026 (times are in CET): 9:00 – 09:45 Journalist registration 10:30 Official opening of Summit 12:45 MoU signing with WHO and the Gasol Foundation 13:00–13:30 Press conference What: Signing ceremony for the partnership agreement by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Gasol Foundation to strengthen efforts to prevent and manage childhood obesity and promote healthier environments for children and adolescents.  The ceremony is taking place on the final day of the Global Obesity Summit in Madrid, taking place 26-28 October.  A press conference on the Summit's outcomes will follow, starting at 13:00 CET.  Speakers at the signing ceremony:  Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General  Mr Pau Gasol, Co-Founder and President, Gasol Foundation  Where: Spanish Ministry of Health, Paseo del Prado, 18, 28014, Madrid, Spain (the activities will be live-streamed on the WHO YouTube channel and Spanish Ministry of Health social media channels)  Media contacts:  For access and accreditation: Any journalist wishing to attend the event should send the following information to the Spanish Ministry of Health prensa@sanidad.gob.es: Full name, Identification document number, specifying the type of document (passport, national ID card, etc.), and the media outlet   WHO: Jin Ni, WHO communications officer, jinn@who.int and Paul Garwood, WHO communications officer, garwoodp@who.int (in Madrid)  Gasol Foundation: Comunica@gasolfoundation.org   Note to journalists:  The WHO-Gasol Foundation MoU signing ceremony is taking place on the final day of the Global Obesity Summit in Madrid, in conjunction with the High-Level Session starting at 10:30 am on 28 October, at which a Call for Action on obesity control is expected to be launched. The activities will be live-streamed on WHO and Spanish Ministry of Health social media channels, and there will be the opportunity to collect photo and video material onsite.   Photo and video content will also be available upon request. Please contact jinn@who.int or garwoodp@who.int.   Important: Directly following the MoU signing ceremony, and as part of the Global Obesity Summit, a press conference will be held from 13:00-13:30 at the same venue, involving senior figures from the WHO, Spanish Ministry of Health, Gasol Foundation and other partners.  Note to editors:    The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Gasol Foundation will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 28 October to strengthen efforts to prevent and manage childhood obesity and promote healthier environments for children and adolescents. The signing will take place during the Global Obesity Summit in Madrid, being held from 26–28 October.  The partnership will bring together WHO’s technical expertise, evidence-based guidance and global advocacy reach with the Gasol Foundation’s experience in research and community-based programmes, and its ability to engage children, families, schools and sports organizations. Together, the organizations will work to translate evidence into action and make healthy habits more accessible.     Partnership goals:  Accelerate implementation of WHO’s plan to end obesity: Turn WHO’s recommendations into practical tools for schools, sports settings, workplaces and communities.  Community-based action: Test and scale evidence-based interventions to prevent and manage obesity across the life course.   Promote healthy lifestyles: Encourage healthy eating, physical activity, adequate sleep and emotional well-being, including a healthy balance between screen time and other activities.       Advocacy and global agendas: Elevate obesity as a global health priority and drive leadership, policy action, and accountability.  Communications and visibility: Raise awareness, engage communities and strengthen political commitment worldwide.  Quotes: Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General: “The new partnership between WHO and the Gasol Foundation reflects our shared commitment to preventing and addressing obesity among children and adolescents. By combining WHO’s public health leadership with the Foundation’s expertise in promoting healthy lifestyles, we can accelerate action to create healthier food and physical activity environments, support healthy growth and development, and ensure access to high-quality care for children and adolescents living with obesity.”  Pau Gasol, co-founder and President of the Gasol Foundation: “I am honoured to team up with the World Health Organization to address one of the greatest challenges threatening children’s health today – childhood obesity,” “Every child deserves the opportunity to grow up healthy, wherever they live. Through this partnership, we want to turn scientific evidence into practical action, support families and communities, and create environments that nurture children’s physical and emotional well-being, free from stigma.”       How obesity affects young people:   In 2024, 170 million children and adolescents aged 5–19 years were living with obesity, including 70 million children aged 5–9 years and 100 million adolescents aged 10–19 years. Obesity prevalence in this age group has quadrupled since 1990, rising from 2% to 8%.  Obesity is a chronic, relapsing disease that can be managed with effective care. Its consequences can begin early in life, increasing the risk of noncommunicable diseases, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Children and adolescents living with obesity may also experience stigma, discrimination and bullying. Preventing and managing obesity is essential to protect the physical and mental health of children and adolescents and support their healthy growth, education, social well-being and quality of life.  The global response:  The MoU signing comes as ministers of health and high-level delegates from more than 35 frontrunner countries gather in Madrid to endorse the Global Call for Action to Stop Obesity (2026–2030), which sets a target of a 5% reduction in obesity prevalence by 2030.   The WHO Acceleration Plan to Stop Obesity, launched in 2022, provides a strategic framework for country-level action across sectors. It aims to help shape the political environment, streamline and prioritize policy, support country-level implementation and strengthen accountability both nationally and globally.  Countries supporting the WHO Acceleration Plan have already slowed, stabilised or reduced obesity prevalence, demonstrating that effective action can change the trajectory.    The obesity crisis can be reversed through proven action. Countries must move beyond commitments and implement a comprehensive three-tier strategy: preventing obesity through healthier environments, intervening early among those at greatest risk, and ensuring equitable access to effective treatment and long-term care.     About WHO  Dedicated to the well-being of all people and guided by science, WHO leads and champions global efforts to give everyone, everywhere, an equal chance at a safe and healthy life. We are the United Nations’ agency for health that connects nations, partners and people in more than 150 locations – leading the world’s response to health emergencies, preventing disease, addressing the root causes of health issues and expanding access to medicines and health care. Our mission is to support all countries to promote, provide and protect health. “Together for health. Stand with science”, the theme of World Health Day 2026, marks a year-long campaign to highlight science as the foundation for protecting health and well-being worldwide.  About the Gasol Foundation  Founded in 2013 by Pau and Marc Gasol, the Gasol Foundation is dedicated to reducing childhood obesity and promoting the health and well-being of children, adolescents and their families through four interconnected pillars: physical activity, healthy eating, sleep and emotional well-being. Its mission is to eradicate childhood obesity through research and holistic, data-driven programmes that help create healthier environments and reduce health inequalities.  Media contacts: mediainquiries@who.int   You are receiving this NO-REPLY email because you are included on a WHO mail list. If you have been forwarded this update you can click here to subscribe. Journalists may send feedback to WHO Media Team       Share    Tweet    Share    Forward  World Health Organization, Avenue Appia 20, 1202 Geneva 27, Switzerland  Preferences  |  Unsubscribe