Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, par. 46 (2014)

Text of the recommendation

46. In combating NCDs, States should therefore ensure that they comprehensively address socioeconomic disparities. They should ensure that food security or poverty reduction plans adequately address the need for healthier food options. They could do so, for example, by increasing availability of fruits and vegetables under food security schemes, incentivizing food retailers to stock healthy foods in low-income neighbourhoods or improving public transport to areas where healthy foods are available. In particular, social programmes aimed at ensuring food and nutritional security can be a useful tool for improving health, if they are sufficiently funded to allow for the purchase of healthy options and are combined with appropriate measures to provide nutrition education and make healthy foods available and accessible to those receiving benefits. Finally, States should work to eliminate inequities in access to primary and preventive care, to lessen the disproportionate effects of unhealthy foods on low-income communities.