New NCD country profiles highlight need for countries to scale up action on noncommunicable diseases
From 10 to 11 July 2014, world leaders gathered at the United Nations General Assembly to assess efforts made since 2011 in controlling noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like heart disease and stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases, the new WHO Noncommunicable Diseases Country Profiles 2014 show progress has been insufficient and uneven.
The report provides an updated overview of the NCD situation, including recent trends in mortality and government responses in 194 countries. It assesses each Member State’s unique situation in face of the growing threat posed by NCDs.
The country profiles include estimates on the current burden and recent trends in NCD deaths and risk factors such as tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, high blood pressure and obesity. The profiles also assess countries’ capacity to take action.
Worldwide, 38 million people (28 million in developing countries) die from NCDs yearly, nearly 16 million of them prematurely – before they reach the age of 70. This has profound implications for communities, health systems and social and economic development.
The report shows that in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, NCDs account for 2.2 million deaths. In the majority of countries, NCDs are the largest contributors of mortality. Fifty-seven percent of deaths in this Region are attributed to NCDs. Without serious action, the number of people dying from noncommunicable diseases will surpass 3.8 million in 2030.
NCDs continue to be part of our strategic priority, with the Global Strategy providing the vision while the UN Political Declaration on NCDs and the regional framework for action to implement the Declaration provides the roadmap for implementation.
Related links
UN Political Declaration on NCDs
Global action plan for the prevention and control of NCDs 2013–2020
Framework for action to implement the United Nations Political Declaration on Noncommunicable Diseases
The Political Declaration of the High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases, adopted by Heads of State and Government in September 2011, provides a road map for Member States and WHO to address the noncommunicable disease epidemic, guided by the WHO Global Strategy for Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and its related action plan (WHA61.14, 2008).
Governments are expected to adhere to the commitments included in the Political Declaration, by strengthening national action against noncommunicable diseases in the three key components of the global strategy: surveillance, prevention, and management. In addition, the Political Declaration specifically requests WHO to scale up its technical support and capacity-building to countries, develop a global monitoring framework and recommendations for a set of voluntary global targets, and exercise a leading and coordinating role within the United Nations system towards updating the action plan.
Progress will be assessed during the Sixty-eighth UN General Assembly in 2014. Like countries in other regions, Member States of the Eastern Mediterranean Region should take immediate steps to review and elaborate their health plans and put in place, by 2013, comprehensive national plans for prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases.
Related links
The High-level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable diseases, 20 September 2011, New York
Heads of State and Government will come together to address the prevention and control of NCDs worldwide at the High-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of NCDs between 19–20 September 2011 in New York.
This is the second time in the history of the United Nations that the General Assembly meet with the participation of Heads of State and Government on an emerging health issue with a major socio-economic impact (the last issue was AIDS). The aim is for countries to adopt a concise, action-oriented outcome document that will shape the global agendas for generations to come.
Two developments have led to the High-level meeting at this juncture. The first development is the growing international awareness that premature deaths from NCDs reduces productivity, curtails economic growth, and poses a significant social challenge in most countries. The second development is the new unequivocal evidence that “best buy” interventions to reduce the toll of premature deaths due to NCDs are workable solutions and that they are excellent economic investments – including in the poorest countries.
