Maternal and Child Health

Breastfeeding Promotion and Childhood Obesity Prevention: the Italian National Institute of Health re-designated as WHO Collaborating Centre

The World Health Organization (WHO) has re-designated the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS) as Collaborating Centre for Breastfeeding Promotion and Childhood Obesity Prevention.

The National Center for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (CNaPPS), during the period 2025–2029, will provide technical and scientific support on health promotion policies and strategies in Europe. The areas of intervention include the protection, promotion, and support of breastfeeding, through the implementation and dissemination of WHO-UNICEF initiatives such as the Baby-Friendly Initiatives; support to monitoring systems and actions for the promotion of Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies (IYCF-E); as well as the promotion of healthy lifestyles among children, with particular attention to the prevention of childhood obesity and the systematic and periodic monitoring of risk factors predisposing to overweight in this population group.

Globally in 2022 more than 390 million children and adolescents aged 5–19 years were overweight, of whom 160 million were living with obesity, while in 2024 an estimated 35 million children under 5 years of age were already overweight. Exclusive breastfeeding is recognized as a key practice for the prevention of childhood obesity: evidence shows that exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life significantly reduces the risk of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence, while also providing numerous benefits for overall health and the prevention of chronic diseases.

Part of the activities of the previous Collaborating Centre and of the most recently renewed one build upon the longstanding experience of the ISS in the field of population-based surveillance systems, particularly the OKkio alla SALUTE surveillance system, which is an integral component of the WHO European Region’s Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI). Since 2008, this system has been collecting data across the entire national territory on the weight status of children and the associated lifestyles. This surveillance is complemented by additional long-term data flows that monitor the main health determinants during the first 1000 days of life. The results of these data flows provide the basis for developing training pathways and support materials for personnel engaged in health promotion and childhood obesity prevention, through an integrated approach across services and within communities.

The recent renewal confirms the role of the ISS as a key player in promoting public health policies aimed at equity, family support, and the prevention of chronic diseases, thereby contributing to improving the health and well-being of children not only at the national level, but also at the European and international levels.

The components of the Collaborating Centre are:

• Angela Giusti, MSc, PhD, IBCLC, Director WHO-CC area Breastfeeding Promotion – angela.giusti@iss.it
• Paola Nardone, MSc, PhD, Director WHO-CC area Childhood Obesity Prevention  – paola.nardone@iss.it
• Giovanni Capelli, MD, PGPH, Director of the National Center for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (CNAPPS)
• Silvia Ciardullo, MSc
• Francesca Zambri, MSc, PhD
• Paola Scardetta, MA
• Annachiara Di Nolfi, MSc, PhDs
• Vincenza Di Stefano, MSc, PhDs
• Flavia Splendore, MSc, PhDs
• Angela Spinelli, MSc, External Expert
• Silvia Andreozzi, Technical Staff
• Arianna Dittami, Technical Staff