Description
SAVE THE DATE
WHA Side Event | 21 May 2026
From Vision to Action: A Holistic Approach to Metabolic Health and NCD Prevention and Care
Join us during the 2026 World Health Assembly for a high-level side event examining why the global response to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) must evolve to meet today’s realities.
As metabolic dysfunction continues to rise worldwide—affecting an estimated 1.5 billion adults—health systems are under increasing strain. This growing burden highlights the urgent need to move beyond siloed approaches to NCD prevention and care. Conditions such as steatotic liver disease (SLD) sit at the intersection of metabolic, cardiovascular, and broader NCD pathways—yet remain largely overlooked in global and national health strategies. Policymakers and health leaders can no longer afford to address NCDs without placing metabolic health at the centre of the response.
This event will mobilise policymakers, clinicians, researchers, and civil society leaders to set the course for integrating metabolic health into global NCD strategies. Together, we will define a roadmap for embedding metabolic health into global NCD strategies—breaking down silos, strengthening prevention, improving outcomes, and building health systems capable of responding effectively to changing patterns of disease and wellbeing.
The panel will be led by EASL’s Secretary General, Debbie Shawcross.
🔹 Date: 21 May 2026
🔹 Time: Side event 09:00-10:30 CEST
🔹 Location: InterContinental Hotel, Chemin du Petit Saconnex 7–9, 1209 Geneva Held during the 2026 World Health Assembly
👉 Register here to secure your place
PROGRAMME
Moderator: Nicola Bedlington
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09:00 |
Welcome & Opening Remarks — Prof Debbie Shawcross, EASL Secretary General |
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09:05 |
Setting the Scene: Why Metabolic Health Must Be at the Centre of the Global NCD Response — Brief framing of the challenge: 1.5 billion adults affected by metabolic dysfunction; steatotic liver disease as the overlooked intersection of NCD pathways |
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09:15 |
Presentation 1: The WHO Resolution on Steatotic Liver Disease — Prof Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, Minister of Health, Egypt — Egypt’s role in championing the WHO resolution on SLD and what it means for global health policy |
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09:25 |
Presentation 2: Addressing Common Risk Factors — A National Approach — Dr Cathrine Marie Lofthus, Director General of Health, Norwegian Directorate of Health (TBC) — Norway’s integrated strategy for tackling shared metabolic and NCD risk factors |
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09:35 |
Presentation 3: Commercial Determinants of Health — Dr Pedro Gullon, General Director of Public Health and Equity, Spain (TBC) — Spain’s policy approach to commercial drivers of metabolic disease and NCD burden |
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09:45 |
Presentation 4: Civil Society and the NCD Alliance Perspective — Katie Dain, CEO, NCD Alliance (TBC) — Building a coordinated civil society response and the role of the NCD Alliance in driving accountability |
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09:55 |
Presentation 5: Regional Perspectives — Obesity and Metabolic Health in the Gulf — Prof Faisal Abaalkhail, President, Saudi Society for the Study of Liver Disease and Transplantation — Addressing the rising tide of obesity and metabolic liver disease in the Gulf region |
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10:05 |
Panel Discussion & Q&A — Moderated by Nicola Bedlington — All speakers |
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10:25 |
Closing Remarks & Call to Action — Prof Debbie Shawcross |
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10:30 |
Close |
Key themes across the session:
- Integrating metabolic health into global and national NCD strategies
- Breaking down siloed approaches to prevention and care
- The role of commercial determinants, equity, and regional context
- Translating the WHO SLD resolution into concrete national action
- Building a roadmap from vision to action