Geneva - International progress on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic respiratory disease, is at grave risk, because of recent efforts by some member states to postpone and weaken United Nations negotiations, an alliance of civil society organisations warned today.
The Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization states, “The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition. ” Prepared by the NCD Alliance Human Rights Working Group, this briefing paper covers the issue of implementation for prevention, the right to essential medicines and technologies for NCDs, vulnerable populations, monitoring and reporting. Furthermore, 10 key recommendations are outlined.
The Third Pacific Non-communicable Disease (NCD) Forum has brought together more than 70 doctors, health experts, NGOs and representatives of international organizations from 22 countries to the capital Nuku'alofa, to share lessons learned and address country experiences from today's leading causes of death and morbidity in the Pacific Island Countries and territories, NCDs. [Picture: Lord Tu'ivakano, Prime Minister with Dr Puloka]
The NCD Alliance, a global coalition of organizations from over 170 countries focusing on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), is gravely concerned that international progress on NCDs is at serious risk with recent efforts to postpone negotiations, while blocking accountability measures and time based targets in the UN Political Declaration on NCDs ahead of the September High-Level Meeting (HLM) on the prevention and control of NCDs.
IDF President Jean Claude Mbanya, looks at what IDF and the NCD Alliance hope to achieve from the UN Summit on NCDs, in an editorial Less than 100 days to the UN Summit published in the July issue of “Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice”, Official Journal of the International Diabetes Federation.
The NCD Alliance has welcomed Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) as a member of the UN Summit Partners Group UNSPG. "Being a part of the Alliance is hugely important to ADI and we very much look forward to working alongside our fellow members of the Steering Group in the lead-up to the Summit in September, " said Marc Wortmann, Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Disease International. "We hope that our involvement will begin a successful process that will see an improved life for people with dementia and their carers across the world."
The NCD Alliance joined other advocates for public health in welcoming the news about measureable gains in tobacco control announced in The WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic released on 7 July in Montevideo, Uruguay.
WHO Summary of 16 June Interactive Civil Society Hearing. Pursuant to operative paragraph 10 of resolution 65/238 of 24 December 2010 entitled “Scope, modalities, format and organization of the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases”, an informal interactive hearing with non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, the private sector and academia was held on 16 June 2011. The propose of this meeting was to provide an input to the preparatory process for the High-level Meeting.
The NCD Alliance has called for children and adolescents not to be overlooked in the final outcomes document and subsequent implementation and follow-up plan on non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Download the full media release below!
