World Health Assembly

Welcome to the 76^th World Health Assembly NCD Newsletter.

Below you will find the highlights from the events in and around the WHA76 on NCDs. Key moments such as NCD related resolutions, access to the recording of the plenaries, remarks from the Director General of WHO and a summary of side events. We hope it captures some of the collaborative environment of the World Health Assembly and related side-events, with global health leaders and policy makers looking back at the progress made against global health priorities in the past and discussing and deciding on ways to accelerate action to address existing and emerging health challenges.

Further information on all events at WHA76

NCD Highlights

Achieving well-being: A global framework for integrating well-being into public health utilizing a health promotion approach.

The World Health Organization is paving the way for a shift of public health towards promoting health and well-being. Member States agreed to adopt, the "Global framework for integrating well-being into public health utilizing a health promotion approach", which strives to enable all people to flourish and achieve their full physical and mental health potential throughout their lives and across generations.

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Related document: A76/7 Add.2
For further information please contact: Dr. KRECH, Ruediger

Political declaration of the third high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, and mental health.

Delegates endorsed an updated menu of cost-effective interventions recommended by WHO recognized as “best buys” to help prevent and control noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). It includes an increased number of “best buys”, giving countries of every income level more options to save more lives from the world's top killers. Among these are prevention interventions such as support to help people quit smoking, promotion and support for breastfeeding and policies to protect children from harmful food marketing. The updated “best buys” also include treatment for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and the early diagnosis and treatment of cancers such as breast, cervical, colorectal and childhood cancers. They also integrate early detection and comprehensive treatment of cancer for people living with HIV. The interventions will help countries to accelerate national action to prevent and control NCDs, accelerating progress towards achieving the SDG 3.4 target and paving the way for increased political commitment in the lead-up to the fourth High-level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the prevention and control of NCDs in 2025.

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Related documents: EB152 (11) Political declaration of the third high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, and mental health
For further information please contact: Dr. SLAMA, Slim

Landmark resolution on strengthening rehabilitation in health systems.

The World Health Assembly agreed a landmark resolution on strengthening rehabilitation in health systems. Rehabilitation services play a key role in ensuring the enjoyment of human rights including the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. It also promotes sexual and reproductive health and recognizes the right to work and the right to education. The World Health Assembly endorsed the historic resolution on strengthening rehabilitation in health systems, which calls for expanding and integrating rehabilitation in health systems as part of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), emphasizing the importance of rehabilitation in primary care and as part of emergency preparedness and response.

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Related document: EB152/8 Strengthening rehabilitation in health systems, Report by the Director-General
For further information please contact: Dr. CIEZA, Alarcos

Report on Acceleration plan to support Member States in implementing the recommendations for the prevention and management of obesity over the life course.

Delegates at the WHA76 noted the report on the progress of the WHO Acceleration Plan to Stop Obesity. The plan is to support Member States in implementing the recommendations for the prevention and management of obesity over the life course. In 2022, WHA75 endorsed the recommendations to prevent and manage obesity including targets and the WHO acceleration plan to STOP obesity.

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Report
For further information please contact: Dr. BRANCA, Francesco

Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities

The WHA76 and the Executive Board noted the report on the Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities which was delivered as part of the 2021 WHA74.8 Resolution on the highest attainable standard of health for persons with disabilities. In the discussions, WHA76 delegates and executive board members welcomed the report on the WHO’s Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities and its proposed actions to reduce health inequities for persons with disabilities. They expressed support for the development of a guide for action on disability inclusion in the health sector and welcomed the Secretariat’s efforts to strengthen capacity in country and regional offices, in particular, in order to drive forward the agenda on disability inclusion.

Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities
Document A76/7 Rev.1
WHA74.8 Resolution
For further information please contact: Dr. CIEZA, Alarcos

Global oral health action plan

Global oral health is at a ‘tipping point’ for policy implementation towards achieving 11 global targets by 2030. WHO Member States noted the Global Oral Health Action Plan, this plan is a crucial step in the implementation of both the Resolution of Oral Health (WHA74.5) in 2021 and the Global Oral Health Strategy in 2022. It translates the vision, goal and strategic objectives set out in the global strategy on oral health into 100 action-oriented interventions for stronger and more coordinated mobilization on oral health. The accompanying global monitoring framework provides 11 global targets and a set of core indicators to assess implementation progress every 3 years. Delegations from the European Union group, Malaysia, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria, as well as the non-State actors including the NCD Alliance, the FDI World Dental Federation and the International Association for Dental Research raised the importance of oral health, the inclusion of cost-effective oral health interventions in the updated of the NCD appendix 3 and the need to include Noma in the WHO list of Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Further information
For further information contact: Dr. VARENNE, Benoit

Preparations for a high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on universal health coverage

Member States expressed alarm that millions of people cannot access lifesaving and health-enhancing interventions. Out-of-pocket spending on health catastrophically affects over 1 billion people, pushing hundreds of millions of people into extreme poverty. The situation has worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, Member States agreed a resolution supporting preparations for the United Nations High-Level Meeting (HLM) on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in September 2023. UHC means that all people have access to the full range of quality health services they need without financial hardship. In a transformative policy shift, Member States across high-, middle- and low-income countries expressed strong commitment to reorient their health systems based on primary health care (PHC) as a foundation for achieving health for all and reaching the furthest left behind first. About 90% of UHC interventions can be delivered using a PHC approach; from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care, potentially saving 60 million lives by 2030.

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Related documents: EB152(5) Preparation for the high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on universal health coverage

Resolution adapted at WHA76 to extend the WHO Global Action Plan on Promoting the Health of Refugees and Migrants until 2030

The Seventy-sixth World Health Assembly adopted a resolution to extend the WHO Global Action Plan on promoting the health of refugees and migrants until 2030, which requests governments, stakeholders, and networks, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) to continue to improve the health of refugees and migrants worldwide. The resolution highlights how the global action plan is instrumental in prioritizing efforts to improve global health equity by addressing the physical and mental health and well-being of refugees and migrants worldwide and meeting the Sustainable Development Goals for these populations as well as the objectives of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees.

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Related documents: EB152(17) Extension of the WHO global action plan on promoting the health of refugees and migrants, 2019–2023 to 2030
For further information contact: Dr. SEVERONI, Santino

Award

WHO's Director-General awarded the "His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Prize for Research in Health Care for the Elderly and in Health Promotion" to the National Center for Chronic and Noncommunicable Disease Control and Prevention from China; and Dr Abla Mehio Sibai from Lebanon.

a large high ceiled formal gathering room

Roundtables available online

22 May: The World Together: Member State-led processes to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response
23 May: Protecting and investing in the health and care workforce: An action-oriented agenda for the second half of the SDGs
24 May The role of the Health Community in Climate Action: taking stock and moving forward
25 May: Ending TB by 2030: Universal access to care, multisectoral collaboration, and innovations to accelerate progress and combat antimicrobial resistance
26 May A safer and healthier tomorrow through restoring essential immunization today
27 May: Celebrating the Twentieth Anniversary of the Adoption of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: A Fit-for-Purpose Life-saving Treaty

For further information contact: GUERRA, Jaimie Marie

Watch Video

WHO Director-General remarks

In his high level welcome, the WHO Director-General outlined the history of vaccines, including noting that “Vaccines now give us hope of eliminating cervical cancer” and how Gavi introduced new vaccines against cervical cancer, among others. pointing out how Gavi had introduced new vaccines against cervical cancer, among others. He told the history of tobacco control, saying that “the WHO FCTC is living proof of the power of global agreements to drive a paradigm shift in global health.” He said “The challenges of today are very different from those we faced in 1948. Noncommunicable diseases now account for 70 percent of all deaths globally” and that “A climate crisis is a health crisis”

In his Report to Member States he noted the toll on mental health due to COVID-19 and that “on universal health coverage, we have made progress and closed gaps, and since 2018, 477 million more people are enjoying the benefits of universal health coverage.” Concerning promoting health, he said that “one of the key ways countries are doing that is through the use of health taxes in the fight against noncommunicable diseases” He spoke on tobacco and sugary drinks, trans fat and salt intake. While discussing vaccines he noted that “...vaccines are bringing the dream of eliminating cervical cancer within reach. Since WHO’s Call to Action to eliminate cervical cancer in 2018, nearly fifty more countries introduced the HPV vaccine into their national immunization programs, including 41 lower-middle income countries.”

In his closing remarks, the Director General made mention of the best buys for NCDs; disabilities; rehabilitation and primary health care and repeated that “the challenges we face are daunting and complex”

WHA76 Side Events

22 May: Organised by the Permanent Mission of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the “Role of Local Manufacturing in Improving Access to NCD Medicines and ensuring affordable insulin for All” discussed access to insulin and the impact lack of access has.

22 May: The Slovak Republic, with the City Cancer Challenge, as part of its efforts to raise childhood cancer into the political agenda, invited missions and health ministries of Argentina, Columbia, Egypt, Georgia, Lebanon, Malaysia, & North Macedonia to discuss Delivering Cancer Care for All: How Cities Can Drive Progress, Implement WHO Global Cancer Initiatives And Reach The Most Vulnerable.

22 May “Invest in and Engage People Living with NCDs: next steps to realise UHC” was co-hosted by NCD Alliance, the Leona M. and Harry B Helmsley Charitable Trust.

23 May An event "From noma to Health for All: addressing the imperative of the most neglected communities" organised by Médecins Sans Frontières in partnership with the International Society for Neglected Tropical Diseases, the Geneva Health Forum, the Swiss Alliance Against Neglected Tropical Diseases, the University of York’s Centre for Applied Human Rights and York Law School and Elysium, the first Noma survivors organisation.

23 May An event on NCDs and the road to 2030: Achieving SDG 3.4 took place organised by the World Heart Foundation to discuss the target of, by 2030, reducing by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.

23 May: Organised by International Diabetes Federation an event on Breaking barriers for better access to diabetes care looked at the potential of the WHO Global Diabetes Compact and started with a video statement from Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of WHO.

23 May: Co-hosted by NCD Alliance and Vital Strategies, “Unpacking the expansion of NCD best buys and their investment case: what does it mean for national NCD prevention and control?” convened governments and global thought leaders to discuss what the expansion of the NCD ‘best buys’ and their investment case means for national NCD prevention and control, and why it is important that these menu of policy options is regularly updated, together with the provision of guidance on how to best prioritise these measures.

24 May: Organised by Helmsley Charitable Trust “Advancing equity: Global Action for People Living with Diabetes,” gathering representatives from WHO, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Santé Diabète, the NCDI Poverty Network, and other partners for a discussion on addressing the needs of people living with diabetes.

25 May A side event called “A Bright Future for Girls and Women: Building World Without Cervical Cancer” co-hosted with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, WEF, ACTION Partnership, and others to bring together countries who are focused on cervical cancer elimination.