UN to prioritise NCDs prevention, treatment

focus on prevention as part of the global response to the diseases.
World leaders who attended last week’s high-level meeting on NCDs in New York adopted a political declaration that spells out their commitment to NCD prevention and treatment.

The declaration proposes a multi-sectoral approach at national, regional and international level with each state expected to put financial mechanisms in place. The UN Secretary-General Mr Ban Ki-moon will table a progress report before the 68th Session of the General Assembly in 2013.
Health and Child Welfare Minister Dr Henry Madzorera – who attended the meeting alongside President Mugabe – told journalists that the adoption of the declaration was the major highlight of the Summit.
He said developed countries, however, fell short of making concrete commitments because they were hamstrung by the global economic crisis.

“The major outcome of this meeting was the adoption of the political declaration. Member states also shared ideas on how to combat the diseases during round table discussions,” he said.
“We agreed to have national, regional and international interventions and co-operation. We also laid down, in principle, the main diseases that need to be looked at. These include cardio-vascular and respiratory diseases, cancers, diabetes and mental conditions. I think the circumstances are different (from the time the Global Fund was set up following the United Nations HIV/Aids Summit of 2001). Developed countries are not happy to make concrete commitments at the moment in light of the global economic recession.”

According to the political declaration, stakeholders will work towards reducing risk factors and creating healthy lifestyles through education, legislation and regulatory measures. Among the risk factors are unhealthy diet, physical activity and alcohol abuse.
Part of the document reads: “We, Heads of State and Government and representatives of states and governments, assembled at the United Nations from 19 to 20 September 2011, to address the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases worldwide, with a particular focus on developmental and other challenges and social and economic impacts, particularly for developing countries,

“Acknowledge that the global burden and threat of non-communicable diseases constitutes one of the major challenges for development in the twenty-first century, which undermines social and economic development throughout the world, and threatens the achievement of internationally agreed development goals;
“Recognise the primary role and responsibility of Governments in responding to the challenge of non-communicable diseases and the essential need for the efforts and engagement of all sectors of society to generate effective responses for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases;

“Recognise also the important role of the international community and international co-operation in assisting member states, particularly developing countries, in complementing national efforts to generate an effective response to non-communicable diseases.”
The member states also agreed to explore ways of preventing maternal deaths that result from NCDs. They also expressed concern over the reciprocal link between poverty and such conditions.

“Heads of State and Government and representatives of states and governments recognise that prevention must be the cornerstone of the global response to non-communicable diseases;
“Recognise that effective non-communicable disease prevention and control require leadership and multi-sectoral approaches for health at the government level, including, as appropriate, health in all policies and whole-of-government approaches across such sectors as health, education, energy, agriculture, sports, transport, communication, urban planning, environment, labour, employment, industry and trade, finance and social and economic development,” reads the political declaration.

The high-level meeting marked the second time the UN General Assembly has convened to tackle a specific global health issue.
The first Summit of this kind was the HIV/Aids meeting of 2001 which culminated in the setting up of the Global Fund.
In 2008, an estimated 36 million of the 57 million global deaths were due to NCDs. The World Health Organisation projects the burden of the diseases to increase by 17 percent globally and that the greatest increase of 29 percent is expected to be in Africa.

In 2005, Zimbabwe conducted an NCD risk factor assessment, which established prevalence rates of 10 and 27 percent for diabetes and hypertension, respectively.
The WHO Global Status Report on NCDs in Zimbabwe revealed “an estimated age standardised death rate for all in 2008 to be 697,8 per 100 000 for males and 533,4 per 100 000 for females”.

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