G20 Hypertension Event in India
The Government of India & WHO India organized a G20 co-branded event for "Accelerating the Prevention and Management of Hypertension and Diabetes"
17 May 2023 India: Senior officals and leading experts particpied in panel discussions on how to accelerate the prevention and management of hypertension and diabetes. The aim of the event was to demonstrate the scale-up of prevention and management of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) through Ayushman Bharat—comprehensive primary health care and an expanded services package for NCDs. It sought that G20 Member States adopt policies and programmes that improve NCDs outcomes and save the lives of people living with NCDs globally. Bente Mikkelsen participated as an expert in a panel discussion on “Implementation of HEARTS strategy and accelerating towards 75 million on standard of care by 2025” alongside senior government health officials and advisors.
For further information contact: wrindia@who.int
Inauguration of IARC Centre
New Center for Cancer Research Inaugurated in Lyon, France
12 May 2023 France: The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) held a ceremony to officially inaugurate the new IARC building in the presence of the IARC Governing Council, dignitaries from IARC Participating States, and the principal funders of the project. The centre will encourage more international collaboration and allow for specialised cancer research. Attendees, including local government, public health institutions and WHO officials, listened to speeches praising the work done to create the centre as well as the research already carried out by the IARC and later attended a round-table discussion titled “Research perspectives on cancer prevention and the contribution of IARC/WHO.”
For further information contact: cowanm@who.int
WHO launches framework for engaging people living with NCDs, mental health and neurological conditions
Framework for meaningful engagement of people living with noncommunicable diseases, and mental health and neurological conditions launched
May 2023: The WHO Framework for Meaningful Engagement of People Living with NCDs and Mental Health and Neurological Conditions is a WHO technical product designed to provide practical guidance, norms, and standards to support WHO and Member States advancing, co-creating, and enhancing policies, programmes, and services through the meaningful engagement of individuals with lived experience of these health conditions. WHO has defined meaningful engagement as the respectful, dignified, equitable inclusion of individuals with lived experience in a range of processes and activities within an enabling environment where power is transferred to people; valuing lived experience as a form of expertise and applying it to improve health outcomes. The Framework outlines a set of underlying principles and enablers that have been identified as essential to support the transition from intention to action in operationalizing meaningful engagement. The process to develop the Framework was co-created by people with lived experience from all WHO geographic regions with representatives across WHO, Member States, and various non-state actors.
For further information conatct fisherj@who.int
Launch of the Climate-Health Economic Framework
WHO, IISD and Health Canada, have launched a report "A framework for the quantification and economic valuation of health outcomes originating from health and non-health climate change mitigation and adaptation action".
4 May 2023: WHO, in partnership with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Health Canada, has launched a new report. This report presents a framework to link science, policy and practice for a comprehensive assessment of climate mitigation and adaptation investments and their impact on human health. The framework proposes to use weather and climate data to forecast health impacts over time, as well as biophysical and economic models to quantify the outcomes of investments in climate change adaptation and mitigation for relevant sectoral indicators and health co-benefits. It provides guidance on the economic valuation of health co-benefits of climate action, for inclusion in sector-specific cost–benefit analysis (CBA), including the spatial allocation of such costs and benefits.The framework developed and presented in this study is comprehensive and provides various entry points for different audiences, including decision-makers in the public and private sectors, researchers and scientists, working in the health sector as well as in other thematic areas and related sectors affected by climate action. The launch event will be held online.
Further information contact: healthclimate@who.int
Report on Blood Pressure Devices
Validation of Blood Pressure Devices as per 2020 World Health Organization Technical Specifications: A Scoping Review of Global Literature
May 2023: Research on automated noninvasive blood pressure measurement devices (BPMDs) with upper arm cuff has been compiled. Global research literature on validation of BPMDs with upper arm cuff has been identified and summarized. A repository of validated BPMDs has been developned, in compliance with the 2020 World Health Organization technical specifications Challenges and gaps in evidence base on validated BPMDs have been identified. The report condluded that most BPMDs fulfilled the validation criteria. However, there were considerable gaps in BPMD research in terms of geographical representation, including specific target populations and diseases/conditions, and a range of arm circumferences. Additionally, a potential strategy is required to accelerate the adoption of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI)/European Society of Hypertension/International Organization for Standardization Universal Standard (International Organization for Standardization 81060-2:2018) for BPMD validation.
For further information contact: customerservice@lww.com
WHO Global Disability Report
Global Disbility Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities launched in Tanzania
27 - 28 April 2023: The Department of Curative Services in the Ministry of Health in Tanzania convened a two-day consultative meeting to disseminate the Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities. Over 50 participants from government departments, service providers and organizations of persons with disabilities heard presentations on steps being taken to make health services more inclusive of persons with disabilities. The WHO Headquarters Disability Programme, and disability focal points from the WHO Africa regional office, and WHO Tanzania country office participated in this meeting. A key goal of WHO participation was for sharing recommended actions for disability inclusion across 10 strategic entry points in health system strengthening efforts, as outlined in the Global Report. The WHO Disability Programme will now work with the WHO Country Office, Ministry of Health and health and disability stakeholders in Tanzania to implement a new national strategic planning tool to advance health equity for persons with disabilities (Disability Guide for Action). The Disability Guide for Action supports ministries of health to systematically prioritize entry points and actions to advance health equity for persons with disabilities, and will be rolled-out in selected countries in all six WHO regions the next two years, with final publication of the tool kit expected at the end of 2024.
For further information contact: disability@who.int
Survey Training in Ghana
Ghanan health workers trained survey methods to gather data on national NCD risk factors.
This week the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Ghana Statistical Service completed a five-day training workshop for selected data collectors. The workshop was aimed at explain the purpose and tools used in the survey. The GHS data suggests a steady rise in the prevalence of NCDs, such as hypertension, stroke, diabetes and cancers and have been identified among the top four causes of mortality locally and globally. Currently there is no comprehensive nationwide data for management and control of risk factors. The STEPwise approach to NCD risk factor surveillance (STEPS), is a simple, standardised method for collecting, analysing and disseminating data on key NCD risk factors in countries. The survey instrument covers key behavioural risk factors: tobacco use, alcohol use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, as well as key biological risk factors; overweight and obesity, blood pressure, raised blood glucose and abnormal blood lipids. This workshop is part of a series of workshops taking place over the coming weeks in Cambodia, Mauritania, Ghana, and Tanzania.
Webinar on Asthma
FIRS-GINA Global Asthma Update Webinar
15 May 2023 16:00 CET: World-renowned experts will give a global update on
asthma: the global burden, access and affordability, and the new GINA 2023 strategy. Join the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) and the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) for a global update on asthma which will discuss what’s new in asthma control, the GINA 2023 strategy and how we can address unequal access to asthma management. Presentations include:
*Global burden of asthma and changes in the past decade.
*GINA 2023 strategy for asthma control in adolescents and adults – what’s new?
*GINA 2023 strategy for asthma control in children and pre-schoolers – what’s new?
*Access to and affordability of asthma management globally – where are we in 2023?
Forfurther information contact: @ginasthma
Road Safety Week Webinar
Rethinking mobility in Latin America and the Caribbean
18 May 2023: Join us in the webinar "Rethinking mobility in Latin America and the Caribbean", hosted by PAHO as part of the activities of the 7th UN Road Safety Week (15-21 May). The event will be broadcasted vía Zoom from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm (Washington DC time) and will have simultaneous translation in English, Spanish and Portuguese. This seventh edition of UN Road Safety Week highlights the desperate need for governments and societies to rethink the way road transport systems are planned to ensure safe and sustainable mobility. It advocates promoting active mobility, such as walking and bicycling, as well as using mass public transport, modes that when safe, can contribute to making people healthy, cities sustainable and equitable societies.
Further information conatct: pubrights@paho.org
Webinar: Sodium Reduction
Monitoring of PAHO’s Updated Regional Sodium Reduction Targets
Join us on Friday, 19 May, in the webinar "Monitoring of PAHO’s Updated Regional Sodium Reduction Targets" as part of the activities of the Salt Awareness Week 2023 (15-21 May) #Ditch the Salt. The event will be broadcasted vía Zoom from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm (Washington DC time) and will have simultaneous translation in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
High-level Meeting of the Small Countries Initiative
Ninth High-level Meeting of the Small Countries Initiative: advancing health and well-being
Network for the Prevention of Childhood Obesity Launched
First-ever Network of Spouses of European Leaders on the Prevention of Childhood Obesity in the WHO European Region launched
10 May 2023: The spouses of 16 European leaders and heads of state came together in the Croatian capital today, under the auspices of First Lady of Croatia Dr Sanja Musić Milanović, to launch the first-ever Network of Spouses of European Leaders on the Prevention of Childhood Obesity in the WHO European Region. They have unanimously adopted the Zagreb Declaration, laying out their political commitment to addressing childhood obesity in their countries and urging other countries to do the same. The newly adopted Zagreb Declaration sets out a political roadmap for reversing the rapid rise of childhood obesity.
For further information contact: bbhatnagar@who.int
Technical Briefing Seminar
8 - 10 May 2023: Are you up-to-date with best practices and policies to improve access to medicines and health products? After a 3 year pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Access to Medicines and Health products Division is pleased to announce that the Technical Briefing Seminar (TBS) will resume. The next session will take place in English in Geneva with the option to join in-person or virtually via Zoom. The next French session will be announced at a later date. Registration for in-person participation is closed. However, it is still possible to register for virtual participation- register here for virtual participation.
Webinar on Hypertension
Webinar on improving hypertension management & strengthening primary health care
18 May 2023: As part of the activities to mark World Hypertension Day, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), through the HEARTS in the Americas Initiative, kindly invites you to attend the webinar titled “Improving hypertension management, strengthening primary health care”. This webinar will highlight the low hypertension awareness rate worldwide, promote accurate blood pressure measurement methods, and underscore the importance of improving hypertension control to live longer and healthier.
For further information contact: slamas@who.int
Webinar on the health of refugees and migrants
Webinar on examples in the "Promoting the health of refugees and migrants: experiences from around the world" report.
10 May 2023 14:30-15:30 CET: Join us for a webinar to learn and celebrate promising practices from countries worldwide that are working to improve the health and well-being of refugees and migrants. The discussion will build on the case examples outlined in the newly released publication Promoting the health of refugees and migrants: experiences from around the world. You will hear from experts on strong governance models in delivering care to these populations, the lessons learned from implementing such positive practices, and collaboration across governments on refugee and migrant health. Take advantage of this opportunity to discover strategies, policies, and plans for improving health outcomes for populations on the move.
For further information contact healthmigration@who.int
Please send your updates for inclusion in the next edition of the NCDs Newsflash: kennedyan@who.int
