Tunisia faces one of the highest burdens of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Nearly 86% of deaths are linked to conditions such as cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes and cancer. Cardiovascular diseases alone are responsible for more than 30% of all deaths. Obesity and diabetes rates are rising sharply, particularly among women and young people.
Behind the figures lie structural drivers – urbanization, food insecurity, unemployment and lifestyle factors. Unhealthy diets and physical inactivity are widespread. Smoking rates are increasing, especially among young people and women.
Recognizing that health outcomes are shaped by a wide range of social and economic factors, the Tunisian Government, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), is advancing the Health in All Policies approach. This involves active engagement with sectors beyond health, including education, youth and sports, cultural affairs, religious affairs, higher education and civil society, to address the broader determinants of health and jointly monitor progress.
The Healthy Cities Programme is helping municipalities promote well-being through better urban governance, civic participation and prevention of risky behaviors such as drug use.
Road safety is another example of the multisectoral approach. With WHO support, Tunisia launched the 2024–2034 Operational Plan for Road Safety, aiming to reduce traffic deaths by 50% by 2034. The plan brings together government agencies, civil society, local communities and the private sector to protect vulnerable users, improve infrastructure and promote safe behaviours. By treating mobility as a public health priority, Tunisia is showing how cross-sector collaboration can save lives.
Tunisia’s National Health Policy 2030, officially endorsed in 2021 with the signing of the National Charter for Health System Reform by the government, civil society and professional organizations, has helped build momentum. WHO played a key role in the process which elevated NCD prevention to the top of the national agenda and helped ensure that equity, transparency and citizen participation were embedded as guiding principles.
