The 2023 UNGA had an unprecedented focus on global public health and many advancements were made to the NCD agenda as a result. This newsletter celebrates these advances.
Everyday more than 100,00 people die prematurely from NCDs: this is not a technical problem; it is a political problem. And that is why we are here.
Director-General opening remarks at UNGA
UNGA Political Declarations on NCDs
The 78th UN General Assembly underscored that NCDs are interconnected to key global health issues. Three high-level meetings on health were held, during which world leaders reaffirmed their political commitments on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, and Tuberculosis.
· Universal Health Coverage
The UHC Global Monitoring Report revealed an alarming stagnation in the progress towards providing people everywhere with quality, affordable, and accessible health care, with little to no improvement in service coverage for NCDs in the last two decades. The UHC Political Declaration calls for the advancement of integrated service delivery for NCDs and mental health conditions, including eye health conditions, hearing loss, oral health and injuries; an expansion of affordable vaccine coverage to prevent incidence of NCDs; strengthening of multisectoral action on NCD risk factors and scaling up efforts in primary and specialized health services while ensuring availability and access to services throughout the life course for all people. The Declaration emphasizes the need for a collective effort to leave no one behind as a prerequisite for achieving UHC, stressing the health inequities experienced by persons with disabilities and other vulnerable populations.
· Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response
The Political Declaration of the UN High-level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response addressed the needs and vulnerabilities of people living with NCDs, including those with disabilities, who are likely to be at a higher risk of developing severe illness from new pandemic pathogens and are likely to be the most impacted by pandemics, particularly due to health service disruptions. Strengthened efforts are needed to address NCDs as part of pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.
· Tuberculosis
The Political Declaration on the High-Level Meeting on the Fight Against Tuberculosis recognized that tuberculosis disproportionately affects people in vulnerable situations, which include people living with diabetes. It commits to actions to address all tuberculosis determinants and drivers, such as NCDs including diabetes, and to integrate systematic screening, prevention, treatment, and care of tuberculosis and related health conditions (including diabetes) through primary health care, to improve equitable access to quality, inclusive, affordable health services with effective referral systems to other levels of care. The Declaration also highlights the commitment of Heads of State and Government to ensure the meaningful participation and inclusion in tuberculosis services of those furthest behind, such as persons with disabilities.
For more information contact Alarcos CIEZA ciezaa@who.int
WHO report details devastating impact of hypertension and ways to stop it.
The WHO released its first-ever report on the devastating global impact of high blood pressure, along with recommendations on the ways to win the race against this silent killer. The report shows approximately 4 out of every 5 people with hypertension are not adequately treated, but if countries can scale up coverage, 76 million deaths could be averted between 2023 and 2050.
“I am fortunate that I was diagnosed early, I have access to good medical care, and I understand my condition and can make sure it is controlled. So, I am one of the lucky ones....This new report contains data on the global and national burden of hypertension and provides targeted actions to address this preventable cause of death. There are some health issues for which we lack knowledge or effective tools. Hypertension is not one of them.”
Director-General remarks at hypertension report launch at UNGA
The economic benefits of improved hypertension treatment programmes outweigh the costs by about 18 to 1. An increase in the number of patients effectively treated for hypertension to levels observed in high-performing countries could prevent 76 million deaths, 120 million strokes, 79 million heart attacks, and 17 million cases of heart failure between now and 2050.
For more information contact Taskeen KHAN
Second annual gathering of the Global Group of Heads of State and Government for the prevention and control of NCDs
Co-chaired by the President of Ghana, & WHO the gathering of the Global Group of Heads of State and Government for NCDs showcased, discussed and supported global and national action on NCDs and the SDGs, as part of the NCD Implementation Roadmap 2023–2025. Watch the Highlights, above, or the full vidoe, below.
As members of the Global Group of Heads of State and Government for NCDs, you are on the frontline to accelerate and scale up efforts to prevent and control NCDs and mental health conditions and achieve universal health coverage in your countries. Your leadership and the public health efforts taken by your countries can save tens of millions of lives in years to come.
For more information contact Martyna HOGENDORF
Transfer of rights & technology for production of insulin in Africa, for Africa
A partnership by Novo Nordisk to transfer of rights and technology to Aspen Pharmacare for the local production of human insulin in South Africa, for Africa was announced at a side-event co-hosted by the governments of Denmark and South Africa. This event, Empowering lives: Bridging the gap for insulin access in Africa marks a significant milestone in our collective work to make diabetes treatment and care accessible to those who need it the most, in Africa and around the world. It underscores the power of dialogue and collaboration, where governments, international organizations, and private sector entities come together for a common cause—the cause of humanity. WHO is encouraged by the implementation and accountability of these commitments to locally produced human insulin on the African continent. This commitment will manufacture enough locally produced insulin for 1.1 million patients and the potential to reach 4.1 million patients by 2026.
“Sir Frederick Banting, who won the Nobel Prize for his co-discovery of insulin, said “Insulin does not belong to me. It belongs to the world. Our work today is huge first step. Let's continue this journey together, with urgency, and we can make insulin available for all.”
WHO Director-General's opening remarks
Our shared commitment to make insulin a basic human right for all is realizing the Global Diabetes Compact. This announcement comes off the heels of a recent series of private sector dialogues on diabetes care hosted by WHO. We look forward to more commitments and further partnerships that will emerge from our ongoing dialogues. We are confident that together, we can make a profound difference in the lives of vulnerable patients living with diabetes across Africa. This announcement follows another commitment made at the World Health Assembly 2023 by the USA and Egypt to transfer technology, build capacity and locally produce insulin in Egypt.
For further information contact Bashier Enoos enoosb@who.int
2023 Multistakeholder Gathering on NCDs: Outcomes & Key messages
WHO, NCD Alliance and the Word Diabetes Foundation co-hosted the second Multistakeholder Gathering to Accelerate Progress on the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.4 and Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The event took place in the lead up to the second annual Gathering of the Global Group of Heads of State and Government for NCDs for the Global NCD Compact. More than 500 participants joined the Gathering that also marked the official launch of the 2023 Global Week of Action on NCDs and the release of a landmark WHO report on multisectoral actions to strengthen the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions. Key messages and call to actions from the speakers and panelists were transmitted to the second annual Gathering of the Global Group of Heads of State and Government for the prevention and control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) for the Global NCD Compact, held in the margins of the second UN High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) on 21 September 2023 in New York.
> Key messages and calls to action from the second Multistakeholder Gathering
No Universal Health Coverage without oral health!
The event Kick Starting the WHO Global Oral Health Action Plan was convened by the WHO Collaborating Center for Quality-improvement, Evidence-based Dentistry, New York University’s College of Dentistry. WHO-NCD Department’s highlighted the alarming state of oral health and the fact that while service coverage for many disease areas has improved in the past decade, progress on NCDs has remained stagnant. To improve the situation.
A Primary Health Care approach is the foundation of UHC. There is a critical need for better integration of NCD services including oral diseases prevention and control into PHC
WHO-NCD Director
The side event was supported by the Member States Israel, Egypt, Malaysia, and Tonga and had the participation of the editor-In-chief of The Lancet, and the Director of Health Systems and Services PAHO.
For further information contact the Oral Health Programme
A multitude of NCD events featuring NCDs
A side event commemorated the 5-year anniversary of Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer.
…for children with cancer, UHC can be the difference between life and death. It means earlier diagnosis and access to quality treatment, without exposing their families to financial hardship or poverty. Today we celebrate the progress achieved by the countries implementing the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer, even as we look towards expanding the programme.
Director-General WHO
WHO participated in events on cancer such as Accelerating access: Delivering equitable care across the cancer continuum [] and on kidney health: How improving kidney health can transform health systems for all.
The United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of NCDs held a « Friends of the Task Force » side event co-hosted by India & WHO, titled Innovating to scale up technical support with and for Member States to deliver the health-related Sustainable Development Goal targets”, to accelerate multisectoral action to support countries in achieving the health-related SDGs in line with the 2022-2025 Task Force strategy.
Risk factors were addressed in events such as Walk the Talk, watch here. and the Tobacco-Free Finance Pledge 5-year Anniversary Celebration.
Finance events were Integrating Health Financing to Achieve UHC and NCD SDG Targets and Building Climate-Resilient Health Systems to Achieve Universal Health Coverage.
Thank you to everyone who made it all happen!
Please send your updates for inclusion in the next edition of the NCDs Newsflash: johannesa@who.int
