WHO Collaborating Centre for Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity

Increasing the role of prevention

The World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity (CCPANO) aims to reduce non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through prevention.

About us

The World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity was established under the auspices of WHO's head office in Geneva to influence policy and public health work on chronic disease prevention globally.

In particular, the centre focuses on physical activity promotion, public health nutrition, obesity prevention and diabetes prevention, and will work in developed and developing countries, as chronic disease is prevalent in most countries across the globe.

The centre is a collaboration between the University of Sydney’s Prevention Research Collaboration and Boden Collaboration with the Charles Perkins Centre.

Terms of Reference

To support WHO in the implementation and monitoring of the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030 and strengthening country capacity for implementation.
To support WHO with non-communicable disease prevention and management, specifically diabetes and the new Global Diabetes Compact
To provide ad hoc technical advice to WHO on physical activity and diabetes and related areas of nutrition and obesity, specifically in monitoring and surveillance systems, interventions and policy implementation and evaluation, and translation and scale-up of NCD prevention programs.

Workplan major themes

Technical support on effective interventions to promote physical activity among older adults
Technical support to strengthen implementation of national communication campaigns on physical activity, including those specifically focused on older adult
Development of a framework for understanding regulatory approaches to promoting physical activity
Inform WHO’s effort to develop a prioritized research agenda for the Global Diabetes Compact
Technical support to inform the adaptation of WHO guidance on insulin treatment
Develop and evaluate systems approaches to physical activity promotion
Build evidence on the relationship between sport, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity

Reports

Systematic review of the association between inherited genetic variants and response to blood glucose lowering therapies 2017
Fair Play: Building a strong physical activity system for more active people (13 October 2021

Media

Media release: WHO calls for better and fairer opportunities for physical activity to improve health (October 14, 2021)
Media release: WHO Collaborating Centres respond to Trump (April 16, 2020)
ABC Radio National interview: Professor Adrian Bauman on RN Breakfast with Fran Kelly
WHO physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines co-led by the University of Sydney
Croakey article about WHO physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines

Our people

Professor Adrian Bauman, Sesquicentenary Professor of Public Health (Co-Director)
Professor Stephen Colagiuri, Professor of Metabolic Health (Co-Director)
Associate Professor Philayrath Phongsavan
Associate Professor Anne Tiedemann
Associate Professor Samantha Hocking
Tracy Nau
Professor Bill Bellew
Professor Anthony Okley, University of Wollongong
Associate Professor Karen Milton, University of East Anglia
Professor Cathie Sherrington
Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis
Professor Ben Smith
Dr Lindsey Reece
Professor Louise Baur
Associate Professor Hidde van der Ploeg, University of Amsterdam