A letter of support for the introduction of a tax on sweetened drinks as part of health policy and the fight against obesity and non-infectious diseases in Poland has been sent to the Polish Ministry of Health by dr Paloma Cuchi, an official of the World Health Organisation.
In the letter of the World Health Organisation, dr Paloma Cuchi expressed her satisfaction “in connection with reports that the Polish government is considering WHO recommendations as part of a comprehensive approach in the fight against childhood obesity and non-infectious diseases”. She emphasized that non-infectious diseases are one of the most important causes of morbidity and premature mortality in Europe and worldwide, and the biggest risk factors are diet and poor nutrition, especially obesity. In her opinion, taxes imposed on sugar-sweetened drinks are part of the policy recommended by the World Health Organisation and there is already a lot of evidence that the introduction of such solutions gives positive results.