Two NCD achievements were made at the 60th PAHO Directing Council, throwing focus yet again on the importance of the integration of NCD management into Primary Health Care. This happened at the same time as the launch of the 2023 UHC Global Monitoring Report. These achievements build on the WHO Global action plan for the prevention and control of NCDs and the development of an Implementation Roadmap 2023 to 2030 to accelerate progress on preventing and controlling NCDs.
NCD Achievements at WHO-PAHO Directing Council
There were two NCD achievements during the 60th PAHO Directing Council , taking place from 25-29 September. The launch of a new initiative named “Better Care for NCDs: Accelerating Actions in Primary Health Care”, that aims to accelerate the integration of NCD management into primary health care services, building upon existing efforts with a steadfast focus on reaching the underserved, guided by the principles of equity. The launch took place during an event on the sidelines of the Organization’s 60th Directing Council. Watch the launch here, or read a Booklet about the new initiative. And a new Policy on Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults was approved by the Member States. It aims to promote a series of interventions targeted at children, adolescents, and young adults aimed at preventing the development of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), and seeks to address cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases, which account for 81% of all deaths each year in the Americas. You can read the information here or use our Visual Summary.
For more information contact Arantxa Cayón
Integrating Essential Nutrition Actions in Universal Health Coverage
18 September at 17:00-18:30 EDT: SUN Movement Secretariat with support from WHO and UN-Nutrition in co-sponsorship with Japan and Bangladesh. No country is immune to the burden of different forms of malnutrition [wasting, stunting, underweight, micronutrient deficiencies, overweight, obesity, and resulting diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)] which compromise the health and well-being of people everywhere. Despite continuous improvements in health outcomes and economic development, rates of malnutrition remain unacceptably high and progress towards reducing its burden is too slow. Good nutrition protects from illness, shortens the recovery time, and reduces the risk of death. It is fundamental for achieving the right to food and the right to health. Mainstreaming and scaling up nutrition services within health systems would save lives, reduce healthcare spending, and accelerate progress towards the SDG agenda, especially SDG2 and SDG3. Essential nutrition actions are crucial at all levels of health service delivery. For virtual attendance please register here.
For more information email info@unnutrition.org
Launch of the 2023 Universal Health Coverage Global Monitoring Report
Jointly published by WHO and the World Bank, this report will provide the latest updates on global progress towards health service coverage (SDG 3.8.1) and financial protection (SDG 3.8.2). The world is off track to make significant progress towards universal health coverage (SDG target 3.8) by 2030 as improvements to health services coverage have stagnated since 2015, and the proportion of the population that faced catastrophic levels of out-of-pocket (OOP) health spending has increased. Watch here and here for more information or read more here and here.
For more information contact the WHO UHC monitoring team
World Oncology Forum
28-30 September: The session on the Transformation in the Global Cancer Agenda: Is there evidence of early success? was discussed during the World Oncology Forum.
The theme of the forum: “Global fight against cancer: past, present, future was discussed by cancer clinicians, researchers, advocates and policy makers. Organised by ESO in collaboration with The Lancet Oncology, it focused on the global fight against cancer.
For more information contact André Ilbawi
World Summit on Mental Health
5 October Buenos Aires: The Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Jarbas Barbosa today urged countries to ensure that “all people have access to quality mental health care and services, based on human rights and free of stigma and discrimination.” Speaking at the inauguration of the 5th World Mental Health Summit in Buenos Aires, the first to be held in the Region of the Americas, the PAHO Director also called for the issue of suicide to be “urgently addressed.” Learn more on Mental health, human rights and legislation: guidance and practice: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240080737.
For more information contact Arantxa Cayón
Selection and prioritization of Global Diabetes Monitoring Framework indicators
On 25 October the Department of NCD at WHO will convene experts around the world to facilitate the development of the Global Diabetes Monitoring Framework (GDMF), including a set of most relevant, valid and feasible indicators for strengthening and monitoring diabetes responses within national NCD programmes and as part of the overarching initiative of WHO Global Diabetes Compact. Experts will assess and select indicators based on important indicator characteristics and finalize definitions and other specifications such as measurement methods, data sources, reporting cycles considering standards for prevention and control of diabetes and monitoring challenges in limited-resource settings. Several Delphi rounds in which experts provide their opinions on indicators will be conducted until a consensus on a priority set of clearly defined GDMF indicators is reached among experts. Participation in the meetings is only by invitation, however the results of the Delphi rounds will be shared widely after the conclusion of the meetings. A follow-up plenary session will take place on 1 December.
For information on GDMF and other NCD surveillance, monitoring & reporting initiatives, contact Leanne Riley
New guidance addressing human rights abuses in mental health care
9 October: Ahead of World Mental Health Day, WHO and the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) jointly launched new guidance, entitled “Mental health, human rights and legislation: guidance and practice”, to support countries to reform legislation in order to end human rights abuses and increase access to quality mental health care.
For more information contact Devora Lillia KESTEL.
Launch of the Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer
October 17 PAHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), with the support of the Latin American Society and the Caribbean Medical Oncology (RINC-SLACOM), Asociación Latina e Ibérica Contra el Cáncer (ALICC), Healthy Caribbean Coalition and Amigos da Oncología e Hematología (amigo_h) had the Global Launch of the Latin America and the Caribbean Code against Cancer. The "Latin America and the Caribbean Code against Cancer" is the first Regional Code that adapts the model of the European Code Against Cancer under the IARC initiative of the Framework for a World Code Against Cancer, to develop recommendations for cancer prevention directed to the region, taking into account the specific contexts in terms of risk factors, health systems and social inequalities in the Latin American and the Caribbean Region. The "Latin America and the Caribbean Code against Cancer" includes recommendations for decision-makers at the level of health systems and health service providers, in addition to recommendations for the general population. The session will be broadcasted via Zoom and YouTube, with interpretation in English, Portuguese and Spanish.
For more information contact Arantxa Cayón
STEPS survey conducted in Cambodia
26-29 September: The Surveillance, monitoring and reporting unit (SMR) supported a data analysis and reporting workshop for the STEPS survey recently conducted in Cambodia. The Workshop was held from 26 to 29 September in Phnom Penh and included representatives from the Department of Preventive Medicine of the Cambodian Ministry of Health, WHO, and selected NGOs. Participants in the workshop reviewed the country experience in implementing the fieldwork for the STEPS survey conducted among approximately 4,200 adults aged 18 – 69 years across the whole country. Other sessions included cleaning and weighting the data, reviewing main findings, interpreting the results, developing factsheets and reports, and strategies to disseminate the data to use for NCD prevention and control in Cambodia. The Workshop was supported by the WHO Country Office in Cambodia.
For further information contact Leanne Riley
Supporting Childhood Cancer in Myanmar
Childhood cancer is highly curable, cure more than 80 per cent in high-income countries and 30% in lower-middle-income countries. In Myanmar, estimated 1500 – 2000 new childhood cancer patient per year, 700-800 patients were identified to date. To combat this burden, WHO initiated the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC) through directed country support, regional networks collaboration and global action framework aiming to achieve at least 60% childhood cancer survival rate by 2030. Myanmar is one of the focus countries to strengthen childhood cancer services in South-East-Asia-Region. Reflect to current context, childhood cancer care is made closer to children through share care with satellite hospitals nationwide to improve services accessibility, treatment completion and thereby survival. 115 health care providers from 41 satellite hospitals were equipped with childhood cancer emergencies management. A chemotherapy medication book and childhood cancer early warning signs pamphlet were provided for reference. Patient review meeting was revitalized in Nov 2022. Since then, 5 meetings were conducted with 27 hospitals, more than 600 patients’ status and treatment plan reviewed, 157 patients are jointly treated, 132 abandon patients identified and followed up. There is an increase of more than 100 patents treated in 2022 compared to 2021. Twenty essential anti-cancer-drugs are procuring to ensure accessibility in the emergency context.
For further information contact Dinesh JEYAKUMARAN
Nutritional Training to reduce NCD risk factors
In Myanmar, the ongoing political conflict and economic crisis is currently affecting the whole country and also worsening the food security and nutrition status of the country population. Since nutrition actions have great impact on mortality and morbidity, strengthening the capacity of the relevant stakeholders in health and nutrition sectors are critical to deliver the essential nutrition info for the community. Accordingly, WHO Myanmar conducted the in-person 3-days training on Food-Based Dietary Guideline (FBDG) for the current implementing health partners in April 2023. The objective of this training is to achieve a better understanding of (i) optimal nutrition for children under 2 years, (ii) balanced diet for pregnant and lactating women and children 2-5 years old (including calories and serving size calculation), (iii) integration of Gender and SRHR in nutrition, (iv) nutrition, exercise, and sleep, and (v) feeding of special need child. This training was facilitated by the UN Nutrition network (UNN) Myanmar and Eden childcare center. Representatives from 16 health partners who are currently providing health services throughout Myanmar and UN staff actively participated and carried out group work and action planning exercise to disseminate the FBDG messages and nutrition info in the community.
For further information contact Dinesh JEYAKUMARAN
Less Alcohol Webinar Series: Addressing blind spots to accelerate the implementation of high-impact policy interventions 2023
18 October: In 2023, the Less Alcohol Webinar Series returns for its third edition, from September to December 2023. This year, the four-part series continues its aim to start global conversations on policy blind spots critical to reducing alcohol consumption. In 2023, webinars are a shortened 60-minute format. Each webinar will include a keynote presentation, three to four spotlight country cases, active moderation and an interactive experience for online participants. All events are free with prior registration. In this year’s edition, the following topics will be explored:
- Alcohol monopolies: what does it take for alcohol monopolies to work? 18 October 2023, 13–14:00 CET
- Youth and alcohol: do new trends demand new solutions? 7 November 2023, 13–14:00 CET Measuring alcohol policy implementation: are existing tools and methods fit for purpose and use? 7 December 2023, 13–14:00 CET
See the Overview of the Less Alcohol Webinar Series 3rd Edition for more details on each webinar and to access the links to register. To receive programme details related to each webinar in advance, you can subscribe to the Less Alcohol Newsletter.
For more information contact lessalcohol@who.int.
Recruitment of a Senior Advisor: Initiative on Integrating NCDs into Primary Health Care
Closing Date Nov 1: The NCD and Mental Health Department is looking for a Senior Advisor based in Washington, D.C., United States. The grade P5, fixed-term appointment is with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO). Duties will include technical, policy, strategic and programmatic guidance for the development, implementation and reporting on the PAHO Initiative on Accelerating the Integration of NCDs into Primary Health Care, strategies to integrate NCDs in PHC etc.
For more information contact Luciani, Silvana (WDC)
October 31 Deadline: Call for Innovative Health Technologies for Low-Resource Settings
Deadline: October 31, 2023: The "2023 Call for Innovative Health Technologies for Low-Resource Settings" is open now and it focuses on NCDs. Each year, 17 million people die from NCDs before age 70; 86% of these premature deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Low-resource settings often struggle to identify health technologies tailored to their needs. However, innovative technologies could offer a solution to their unmet needs. WHO is pleased to announce the opening of the 2023 Call for innovative health technologies for low-resource settings. If you or your team have developed an innovative health technology submit it today! The call is open for prototypes, commercially available technologies, and updates from the previous versions of the WHO Compendium. Despite the focus on NCDs, this call also considers submissions of technologies related to other diseases and health conditions.
For more information contact Bianca Hemmingsen
Please send your updates for inclusion in the next edition of the NCDs Newsflash: johannesa@who.int
