_{7 March 2025}

Action is underway for the Childhood Obesity Prevention Initiative (COPI) in Johannesburg, South Africa. Part of the Cities for Better Health programme, the initiative targets disadvantaged communities, recognising that combating childhood obesity requires broad collaboration and systemic change.

South Africa faces a growing health crisis, with approximately 1 in 5 children living with overweight or obesity in 2017. This alarming statistic, presented at the recent World Obesity Day Summit in Johannesburg, underscores a critical need for urgent, sustainable action to safeguard children's health and futures.

Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, emphasised, "We must work together to develop policy recommendations, community-driven interventions, and awareness campaigns that can make a tangible impact."

Mobilising the community for change

The recent two-day summit,  “Unpacking the Complexities of Childhood Obesity”, brought together over 120 stakeholders, including policymakers, civil society partners, healthcare professionals, educators and youth advocates. Participants explored systemic challenges contributing to high obesity rates, including limited access to affordable healthy foods, unsafe public spaces limiting physical activity and cultural perceptions around weight.

The summit shifted focus to solutions following in-depth discussions, highlighting practical interventions co-created with community input. Key proposals included:

• Improved food environments: Collaborations with local shop owners in and around schools to reduce the number of unhealthy food options and offer healthier, affordable food choices, as well as limiting the marketing of unhealthy, ultra-processed foods in schools and communities.
• Involving parents and caregivers: Complementing interventions to improve the obesogenic environment, parental involvement and education was identified as a key action to address misconceptions around weight, diet and physical activity. Parents and caregivers will be involved as role models and champions to support children in leading healthier lives.

From ideas to action

With strong cross-sector commitment, the COPI team and local steering committee are developing detailed implementation, monitoring, and evaluation plans. Baseline health data collection and regular evaluations will help track progress and adapt interventions for maximum impact.
 
Sara Norcross, GM of Novo Nordisk South Africa, said, “By working together, we have the potential to create a future in which fewer people suffer from chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity by stepping up our action in cities to ensure that all residents have access to healthy foods and safe opportunities to be physically active in their daily lives.”
 
Johannesburg’s proactive, community-centred approach is a powerful example of how cities can unite diverse stakeholders to tackle complex health issues. By transforming environments and policies, the city is paving the way toward healthier futures for its children – one collaborative step at a time.