UPDATING THE WHO NCD BEST BUYS: CHANCE TO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR SECOND INFORMAL CONSULTATION

Today, we are delighted to publish a second draft discussion paper on the update to Appendix 3 of the Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs 2013-2030 for public consultation, taking account of your feedback gathered from previous consultations throughout June and July.

The WHO 'best buys' are a priority set of effective, feasible and cost-effective interventions that WHO Member States can adopt to improve NCD outcomes for their populations, with a specific focus on accelerating progress in lower- and middle-income countries. They also inform how WHO monitors the world's progress and uptake of key NCD interventions.

In short, they are a crucial technical package for countries around the world to invest in NCDs, unlock sustainable development, and save tens of millions of lives in this decade alone.

In June, we published a first draft WHO discussion paper containing a proposed update to Appendix 3 of the Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs 2013-2030 for public consultation. The Secretariat also convened a first informal consultation with Member States and UN organizations, and with non-State actors in official relations with WHO. 

You now have the opportunity to provide your comments until 28 August. As other notable dates for your diary:

16 September 2022: The Secretariat will convene a second informal consultation with Member States and UN organizations.
19 September 2022: The Secretariat will convene a second informal consultation with non-State actors in official relations with WHO.

NEW TRAINING ON NOMA FOR HEALTH WORKERS

Noma (cancrum oris) is a serious gangrenous disease of the mouth and face, mainly affecting children aged 2 to 6 years in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite substantial knowledge gaps, it is reported to be linked with malnutrition, poor oral hygiene, immunosuppression, and living in extreme poverty situations.

Since 2013, WHO Regional Office for Africa has supported ten noma priority countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo to develop an implement the national noma control programme, based on a step by step guide. This work also falls within a regional noma programme, focused on integrating noma prevention and control interventions into national health care plans, strengthening primary health care, capacity building of health workers, and alignment of noma efforts with universal health coverage.

A new course from WHO aims to provide information about noma, and to increase the knowledge and skills of national and front-line health workers to help them prevent, identify and treat this disease. 

It will describe the epidemiology and pathogenesis of noma, clinical aspects, how a diagnosis is made, treatment, and public health considerations including the socioeconomic impact, including the human rights perspective, and the appropriate public health interventions.

Mulikat Okanlawan was diagnosed with noma, a gangrenous disease that attacks facial tissue and bone. Without treatment, it kills around 90% of its victims.

In this video, Mulikat tells us about her experiences of receiving treatment, and her role as an advocate to support people living with noma and strengthen health system responses.

TWO DAYS LEFT! LAST CHANCE TO GIVE FEEDBACK ON THE DRAFT WHO GLOBAL REPORT ON HEALTH EQUITY FOR PERSONS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES

You have until Friday 5 August 2022 to provide your feedback on WHO's global report on the highest attainable standard of health for persons with disabilities by the end of 2022.

At the 74th World Health Assembly in May 2021, Member States adopted resolution WHA74.8 on The highest attainable standard of health for persons with disabilities. This landmark resolution provides WHO with a mandate to continue its commitment to promote disability inclusion in the health sector. The report was requested as part of this resolution.

To ensure the report is practical and relevant, we are seeking inputs from a wide range of partners including Member States, civil society, academia, health professionals and the private sector. The survey includes a link to the full draft version and summary version of the WHO Global Report on health equity for persons with disabilities.

The survey for providing feedback and also the summary version of the Report are available in all official WHO languages, though the full Report version is available only in English. An EasyRead version of the survey and summary of the Report will be available soon on the WHO website.

REPORTING NCD WORK ACROSS THE UN AT ECOSOC

Countries with policy, legislative and regulatory measures, including fiscal measures, for the prevention and control of NCDs and strong and inclusive health systems have had the best outcomes. Maximising these gains can benefit from work across the UN system, bringing WHO together with other UN agencies on joint programming missions, developing NCD and mental health investment cases and developing governance tools and approaches.

Last week, WHO presented a summary of a report on the work of the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases (UNIATF) over the last year to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations.
 
Werner Obermeyer, Director at the WHO Office at the United Nations (WUN), presented a summary highlighting action at country level, progress on the NCD and Mental Health Multi-Partner Trust Fund (Health4Life Fund) and the Task Force’s 2022-2025 Strategy. The importance of mobilizing resources to catalyze multisectoral action on NCDs and mental health at the country level through the Health4Life Fund was emphasized.
 
ECOSOC has taken note of the WHO Director-General’s report and its recommendations, and asked the Task Force to report to the Council through the UN Secretary-General in 2023. 

PRIORITIZING NCDs IN THE AMERICAS REGION IN THE ERA OF COVID-19

NCDs account for four in five deaths in the Americas. A new review article from PAHO staff describes the situation of NCDs in the Americas, implementation of NCD interventions according to key progress indicators, explores the impact of COVID-19 on NCD services, and proposes ways to reprioritize NCDs in health systems in reaction to the pandemic’s impact.

The review found that despite causing the vast majority of deaths in the region, the implementation of key NCD interventions has been limited. Only three countries reported implementing 12 or more of 19 NCD indicators identified as key to improving outcomes. It also notes that limited data are available on the impact of COVID-19 on NCDs, and calls for NCD data and surveillance capacities to be strengthened.

Adaptive strategies, such as telehealth and mobile pharmacies, have been used to mitigate service disruptions. However, NCD prevention and management must be an integral part of recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The paper also recommends scaling up efforts to establish/re-establish and enforce policies on NCDs and risk factors, greater investment in primary health care, and expanding telemedicine and digital health solutions to care for people living with NCDs.

REVIEWING THE EVIDENCE ON OUT-OF-HOME FOOD MARKETING

WHO’s Department of Nutrition and Food Safety is developing guidance on menu labelling and portion size control, which aims to enhance healthier decisions in the out-of-home food environment and to address increasing concerns of consuming out-of-home meals and foods. 

Over the last few years, the out-of-home food sector market has grown rapidly, and its important role in contributing to shape people’s dietary practices is increasingly recognized. A growing evidence base suggests that the nutritional content of food available in the out-of-home food environment is higher in energy, saturated fats, sugars and salt, and likely to be sold in larger portion sizes. However, many consumers are often unaware of the nutrient contents of the foods being made available or offered in the out-of-home environment. Left unregulated, the out-of-home food environment may increasingly pose a threat to consumer health.

In response, WHO is making a call for authors to conduct a scoping review on menu labelling and portion size control in the out-of-home food environment. The purpose of this review is to assess the scope of the existing literature and the nature and extent of available evidence on menu labelling and portion size control as a policy option to address the health harms of consuming out of home meals and foods.

Interested authors and research teams are invited to submit a proposal (2-3 pages), no later than 10 August 2022, by emailing us below at. The subject heading of the email should read as: “Scoping review on menu labelling”. 

WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEK

Breastfeeding promotes bonding between mother and child, regardless of the setting, and provides food security to infants from the very beginning of life contributing to food security for the whole family. Breastmilk is perfectly designed for a child’s nutritional and immunological needs and helps to prevent infections. 

The COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical conflicts have widened and deepened inequalities, tipping more people into food insecurity. Supporting breastfeeding involves many actors and levels. Women, caregivers and families need support from the health service, workplace and community to optimally breastfeed, progressing from one level to the other.

On 4 August, as part of the activities organized to mark World Breastfeeding Week 2022, PAHO will host the webinar "Step up for Breastfeeding. Educate and Support”, in line with the week’s theme for this year. The webinar will be used to share information from countries that have had successful experiences in the implementation, education and support of the breastfeeding recommendation. It will also highlight the role of breastfeeding into the food systems and sustainable development goals, and how PAHO has played a role in the process.

UPDATING THE WHO COMPENDIUM ON INNOVATIVE HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES FOR LOW-RESOURCE SETTINGS

Scaling up effective, quality health innovations requires a better understanding of barriers to implementation and uptake to reach the most vulnerable populations. It also requires support in linking the health demand and supply of innovations in countries.  

To assist in the scaling of such innovations, WHO publishes a compendium of innovative technologies for low-resource settings, with a new Compendium launched earlier this year. The WHO compendium of innovative health technologies for low-resource settings 2022 presents a snapshot of technologies that are solutions to an unmet medical/health technology need, or are likely to improve health outcomes and the quality of life. 

Ten years has passed since we first created the Compendium, and we need your help to assess its impact. To reflect on its value, we are grateful for your thoughts and insights on the Compendium, including how you may have used it over the years, and what updates would be valuable to optimize your work. To contribute, please complete the survey below, closing 11 September. 

HOUSEKEEPING AND COUNTRY IMPACT

As part of efforts to improve WHO communications, we always want your feedback of what you like, and what you would like to see more of! Send me your feedback below.

We are also piloting a new On The Pulse feature series, working with WHO Regional and Country Offices to explore our country impact on NCDs! If you would like to be kept in the loop about this, please also let me know by writing.

THE TWEETS WE RETWEET

• We have teamed up with @UNAIDS, @iasociety, @STOPAIDS, @frontlineaids
  and @gnpplus to assemble 15 transformative solutions to achieve the best possible health outcomes for people living with and affected by #HIV and #NCDs. (July 2022)
• A @HealthPolicyW article exploring how African countries grapple with HIV patients’ expanding needs as NCDs increase (July 2022)