Policy makers and key academics from multiple sectors including media, marketing and advertising, nongovernmental organizations and consumer organizations met at a two day dialogue to develop a research agenda that would support South Africa’s Strategic Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases 2013-2017.  The plan flows directly from targets set at the South African Summit on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable diseases and on the WHO global NCD monitoring framework. The plan also indicates that NCD policies need to be based on sound scientific evidence generated though research to support and evaluate implementation of population wide interventions.

Organized jointly by WHO and the University of Witwatersrand School of Public Health, the dialogue (1) Identified potential opportunities and challenges that could impact legislative, regulatory and fiscal strategies, (2) Reached consensus on priority actions and the roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders, and (3) Proposed mechanisms to facilitate national dialogue and promoting public awareness about dietary, physical activity, and lifestyle behaviors. The participants also agreed to explore the following:    

1.     Creating obesity advisory body
2.     Creating an editorial team to write articles on obesity
3.     Publishing an article on the dialogue