Tonga not taking serious steps to eliminate harmful bacteria, WHO report shows

A report from the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) shows that 53 countries now have best practice policies in place to tackle industrial trans fats in food, benefiting 3.7 billion people, or 46% of the global population. This is a significant increase from 2018, when only 6% of people were protected.

However, Tonga was not among these countries despite reporting high levels of non-communicable diseases and deaths linked to high consumption of trans fat foods.

According to the WHO report, Pacific countries in the Western Pacific Region that take the health of their populations seriously and have made policy commitments include Fiji, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Vanuatu.

The Philippines and Singapore are two countries in the Western Pacific region that have implemented best practice policies.

“Eliminating trans fats is achievable, affordable and can save lives,” said Dr Francesco Branca, Director of Nutrition and Food Safety at WHO. Trans fats clog arteries and increase the risk of heart attacks, killing more than 278,000 people each year.

These advances could save an estimated 183,000 lives each year. However, progress has been uneven, with the highest burdens in Africa and the Western Pacific. The WHO report urges countries to develop and implement policies to eliminate trans fats worldwide.

In 2023, seven countries, including Egypt and Mexico, implemented new policies. The WHO awarded medals for progress in five countries, including Denmark and Thailand. Dr. Branca said ensuring compliance is critical to maximizing health benefits.