A new memorandum of understanding between UQ and the Mexican government will shed new light on the best ways to tackle obesity, including childhood obesity, and chronic disease.
The MOU – to be signed at UQ on Monday 15 August – marks the beginning of a project that will see UQ researchers join forces with Mexico’s Ministry of Health and National Institute of Public Health to develop new programs aimed at reducing the burden of obesity and chronic disease in Mexico.
Mexico has one of the world’s highest rates of obesity with 72 per cent of Mexican men, 67 per cent of Mexican women and 26 per cent of Mexican school children considered overweight or obese.
These alarming rates are placing a huge – and unsustainable – burden on Mexico’s health system.
Mexico’s President, Felipe Calderon, has established a new National Council on Chronic, Non-Transmittable Diseases designed to meet specific targets around reducing obesity and chronic disease.
Lead UQ researcher, Dr Kurt Long from UQ's School of Population Health, said the new partnership would see UQ’s experts in chronic disease working with the new National Council in identifying the most effective ways of reducing obesity and associated chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension.
“Mexico’s rates of obesity, particularly childhood obesity, have to be among the highest found anywhere in the world,” Dr Long said.
“A recent survey of children aged 11-15 years in Mexico City found that 60 per cent were overweight or obese and of those, 30 per cent were diabetic.”
Dr Long said he expects lessons learned from the project in Mexico will be applied to efforts to reduce rising rates of obesity and chronic disease in Australia.
“Obesity rates are higher in Mexico than they are in Australia but that does not mean we do not face huge health challenges in this country because of growing rates of obesity, including childhood obesity, and associated chronic disease,” said Dr Long.
“We hope that the initiatives developed during this project will help tackle rising obesity rates in Australia too.”
Researchers will work together on the economic assessment of interventions of chronic non-communicable diseases, nutrition and the influence of advertising and the media in health promotion.
The MOU will be signed by General Director of Mexico’s National Institute of Public Health, Dr Mario Henry Rodriguez Lopez and UQ Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Greenfield.
Mexican Ambassador to Australia Her Excellency Mrs Maria Luisa Beatriz Lopez Gargallo and Mexico’s Minister of Health Dr Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos will also attend the signing.
The project is part of a broader effort to develop formal collaborative relationships between UQ and the Mexican Ministry of Health.
It builds on the University’s strong record of international collaborations aimed at informing health policy and practice both at home and around the world.
The MOU signing will be marked at a symposium at Customs House from 4-6pm, Monday 15 August.
Speakers will discuss the project and be available for photographs and interviews. All are welcome – please RSVP to RSVP@health.uq.edu.au
More information:
Marlene McKendry (Media)
T: +61 7 334 64713
m.mckendry@uq.edu.au
Dr Kurt Long
T: +61 7 3365 5404
k.long@uq.edu.au
