2020 Volume 78 Issue Supplement Pages S101-S110
Objective: Mortality from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is increasing worldwide as well as in the Asia-Pacific region. To prevent NCDs, international collaborative activities for healthy nutrition and proper physical activities should be prioritized. This review aims to introduce international collaborative activities with Asia-Pacific countries for monitoring and evaluating national and international strategies for NCD prevention in the National Institute of Health and Nutrition (NIHN).
Methods: We reviewed activity reports from international symposia and fellowships conducted from 2004, the data of the WHO Collaborating Centres from 2014, and collaborative studies and other related activities by using internal NIHN records from 2002.
Results: The NIHN has held the Asian Network Symposium on Nutrition every other year nine times and has discussed nutrition challenges in the Asian region with invited experts. To support capacity strengthening in the surveillance of nutrition and physical activity, the NIHN started the Fellowship Program for Asian Researchers in 2004 and has invited 26 researchers from 12 countries. These continuous activities resulted in international collaborative studies with researchers in the Asia-Pacific region.
Conclusion: The international collaboration and networks on nutrition and physical activity resulted in the invitation of competent foreign researchers to the NIHN Fellowship Program for Asian Researchers at the nine-time Asian Network Symposium on Nutrition and given rise to international collaborative studies with countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The NIHN will continue these activities by monitoring and evaluating government policies for healthy food environments in the Asia-Pacific region under the Sustainable Development Goals.
