BIPS confirmed as WHO Collaborating Centre

Since 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS have been collaborating on obesity prevention. In February 2021, this successful collaboration was confirmed and BIPS was reaccredited.

The WHO bestowed a great honor on BIPS in 2016 - the designation as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention, Nutrition and Physical Activity. As Collaborating Centers, WHO selects scientific institutions that support the technical work of WHO. The main topics of cooperation between WHO and BIPS - obesity prevention, nutrition and physical activity - are the responsibility of the Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity program area. The international group of Collaborating Centres, advises WHO, collects and analyzes data, and helps develop international health guidelines. The success of this collaboration has now been confirmed by WHO through reaccreditation.

WHO is a specialized agency of the United Nations based in Geneva. It was founded on April 7, 1948, and has 194 member states. It is the coordinating agency of the United Nations for international public health. The primary mission of WHO is to combat disease, with special emphasis on infectious diseases, and to promote general health among people of the world. The work of WHO is carried out by its principal organs, the World Health Assembly, the Executive Council, and the Secretariat. The WHO Secretariat implements the activities of the World Health Organization. It has its main office in Geneva and six regional offices in the different regions of the world. The Regional Office for Europe is based in Copenhagen.

Background WHO Collaborating Centres

Research institutes and parts of universities or academies that wish to support the work of WHO can be designated Collaborating Centres by the Director-General of WHO following an application process. Currently, there are over 800 Collaborating Centres in more than 80 member states worldwide. These collaborate with WHO in the areas of health and nursing care, occupational health, infectious diseases, nutrition, mental health, chronic diseases and health technology. In Germany, there are currently 24 WHO Collaborating Centers.