The United Nations and the World Health Organization awarded Greece for its performance in prevention of chronic diseases and childhood obesity.
At a special award ceremony organized by the UN and WHO in New York City, Greece received the award for its performance in the prevention of chronic diseases and childhood obesity. This is the first time that Greece has been awarded by the UN and it was among the few candidate countries worldwide that claimed the distinction.
Greek Deputy Minister of Health, Irini Agapidaki received the award. In her speech she said that “the most important factor for change is strong political commitment.”
“Just as one cannot build a house without building materials, without the right people, without a methodical way and reliable design, such effective action on prevention issues cannot be developed simply with political promises and goodwill,” she said.
In her speech, the deputy health minister stressed the importance of political will in the health sector.
“Strong political commitment must be translated into action based on scientifically documented practices, evaluation, accountability, sustainability,” adding that that the prevention issue in Greece’s health sector was an area that lagged behind in the past 40 years. “We managed to cover the lost ground and be able to provide expertise to other countries,” Agapidaki said.
“Prevent” program
The UN award highlights Greece’s progress with flagship interventions such as the “Prolamvano” (Prevent) program, through which more than four million citizens have already benefited from free preventive check-ups, as well as the National Action Against Childhood Obesity in collaboration with UNICEF.
Earlier, at the Summit on the Prevention and Control of Chronic Diseases, Mrs. Agapidaki said that political commitment must be transformed into action with a focus on people and Primary Health Care. She emphasized that prevention in Greece has been integrated into the daily lives of citizens, with the “Prolamvano” program identifying thousands of cases in a timely manner and preventing avoidable losses from chronic diseases.
“Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment are not isolated actions,” she noted. “They constitute a comprehensive care process that respects the person and ensures equal access for all. Each statistic represents a life saved, a family that benefited from early intervention, a community that was empowered”, noted Mrs. Agapidaki.
Τhe deputy health minister said that Greece co-chairs the UN Group of Friends on Obesity and will host the World Conference on Childhood Obesity in February 2026 in Athens, in collaboration with UNICEF.
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