President’s Spouse Sanja Musić Milanović at UN Meeting in New York: Obesity is a problem that can be solved with the participation of all sectors of society

The spouse of the President of the Republic Prof. Sanja Musić Milanović, Ph. D., participated in the panel entitled “Pursuing Well-being, Equity and Healthy Societies Through Sustainable Fiscal Policies,” which was held at the United Nations in New York and organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Regional Office of the World Health Organization for Europe and the Government of the Kingdom of Norway.

At the panel, which was attended by international experts such as Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, Professor Sean Dorrance Kelly and Professor Jayati Ghosh, Professor Musić Milanović emphasized the importance of the synergy of health and economic policies for improving the health and well-being of the population, specifically focusing on the problem of obesity.

“Obesity is one of the leading public health problems of today with a very high economic burden for European states (over 2% of GDP). However, the solution to this complex problem cannot be achieved through what the Nobel laureate Amartya Sen termed “instant economics“ to describe situations in which important problems are burdened with impatience which lead to short-cuts in economic reasoning that often yield even higher costs than originally expected. Obesity is a problem that demands long-term commitment and the participation of all social sectors. Only in this way can we improve the health of our children in the long-term but also achieve significant economic benefits. The Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman has showed that every $1 invested in quality early childhood programs can yield returns between $4 and $16,” said Professor Musić Milanović.

She pointed out that long-term commitment, strong networks and joint action are the key to finding a solution to this galloping public health problem, which, she reminded, was highlighted in the Zagreb Declaration that was adopted at the Summit of the Spouses of European Leaders in Zagreb in May this year.

“The Zagreb Declaration recognized the need for the World Health Organization to establish the European Centre on Prevention of Childhood Obesity. Croatia has offered and expressed intent for the Centre to be located in Zagreb as a central point for all common efforts in solving the common problem of childhood obesity. My hope is that the Network launched at the Summit will only grow stronger and that the World Health Organization will establish the WHO European Centre on Prevention of Childhood Obesity in Zagreb as soon as possible and by doing so actively contribute to the pursuit of well-being, equity and health in our societies,” the spouse of the Croatian President clarified at the panel in New York.

Using the experiences of different countries, this event endeavoured to illustrate how nations, with diverse histories and challenges, have utilized fiscal policies to ensure the equitable well-being of their citizens. A distinguished panel of global governmental representatives, economists, and tax and health experts convened for the event, whose focus was on how nations can synergize fiscal policies, taxation, and the SDGs to foster societies marked by well-being, equity, and sustainability.

Also attending the meeting, apart from the aforementioned experts, were the Prime Minister of Iceland Katrín Jakobsdóttir, the President of Montenegro Jakov Milatović, the President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu, UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner and Director General of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation Bård V. Solhjell.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Ana Marija Katić