INTRODUCTION:
Current food systems are a major driver of noncommunicable diseases and environmental degradation, requiring urgent transformation.1 The Planetary Health Diet (PHD) developed by the EAT-Lancet Commission provides an evidence-based framework for optimising human health, which could also reduce environmental impacts.1 Healthcare professionals are recognised as key frontline actors to support food systems change, linking nutrition science, individual behaviours, health systems, and public policy.2 The Healthcare Professionals Community for Action curated by PAN International, EAT, and Convene co-developed an Action Brief that identified priority actions and tension points for healthcare professionals to support food systems transformation.3 The unresolved tension points include nutrient adequacy, affordability, cultural acceptability, and feasibility within low- and middle-income and regional settings. This session aims to articulate the regional and contextual relevance of the PHD by integrating underrepresented African perspectives on priorities and tension points in healthcare professionals’ role in food-systems transformation.

METHODS:
The session will use a facilitated dialogue approach to explore tension points identified in the Action Brief, illustrated through Stories of Progress from healthcare professionals that showcase regional examples from African food-systems.3,4

RESULTS:
The session aims to generate a deeper understanding of: (1) priority tension points and healthcare sectoral needs to enable the shift to the PHD in African contexts; (2) coordination needed between healthcare professionals and other stakeholder groups to adapt and adopt the PHD to regional contexts; and (3) evidence gaps and agenda-setting priorities that could inform subsequent EAT-Lancet Commissions and other global scientific and policy forums advancing food-systems transformation.

CONCLUSIONS:
This session will contribute to advancing healthy and sustainable diets by integrating African perspectives into global discourse on enabling healthcare professionals as agents of change. This dialogue could inform near-term action planning and future scientific and policy agendas, supporting more feasible, equitable, and regionally responsive pathways to improve food systems.