This week will see the celebration of 14 November World Diabetes Day, 15 November World COPD Day and 17 November Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action. This newsletter is filled with details from across the world of achievements and advances made in key areas.
Marking 3 years of the movement to eliminate cervical cancer
17 November WHO marks 3 years of the global movement to eliminate cervical cancer. WHO Department of NCDs will host a webinar to mark the anniversary. Join us as we reflect on progress and lessons learned across three years of this historic movement. Register for the event here [https://who.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rzStsPqnTB60EDoVWGbbAA#/registration]. In 2020, 194 countries resolved to eliminate a cancer for the first time and WHO launched the Global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem. This historic response to the WHO Director-General’s call to action in 2018 catalysed a social movement and sparked an annual tradition, bringing communities across the world together for a Day of Action for Cervical Cancer Elimination. Let us know how you are joining the movement by visiting our webpage here.
For more information contact Richard Freeman
Sweden increases cervical cancer screening
Since 2022, Sweden has allowed women to choose whether they want to use a self-sampling kit or be seen by a clinician as part of its organized cervical cancer screening programme. This has led to an increase in population coverage for screening and creates a saving for health services in terms of time and costs involved with clinician-only testing. This approach is also helping Sweden to more rapidly reach the goal of cervical cancer elimination.
For more infomation contact María LASIERRA LOSADA
Bhutan screens 90.8% of women for cervical cancer
The government of Bhutan has screened 90.8% of eligible women for cervical pre-cancer and cancer in its health flagship project. 92% of women with cervical pre-cancer were treated and all women with invasive cancer were managed. As per Bhutan cancer registry, the reported age adjusted incidence rate of cervical cancer is 20.5 per 100,000 women per year for the years 2014-2018.
For more information contact Bishu GIRI
HPV Vaccine has been introduced in Cambodia and Nigeria
HPV Vaccine has been introduced in National Immunization Programme in Cambodia [Life-saving HPV vaccine introduced nationwide into routine immunization schedule to prevent cervical cancer in Cambodia (who.int)] and Nigeria [Nigeria to vaccinate 7.7 million girls against leading cause of cervical cancer | WHO | Regional Office for Africa] in October as a single dose schedule. HPV vaccine prevents cervical cancer which is the second most common cancer among women in both Cambodia and Nigeria.
For more information contact ssultana@who.int
Global Declaration to Eliminate Cancer
November: The Global Declaration to Eliminate Cancer is part of the momentum towards November 17th, the Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action. Signed and organized by physicians, nurses, health professionals, community health workers, patient advocates, scientists, and public health experts, who believe that eliminating cervical cancer is both achievable and an essential step in advancing the health and well-being of girls, women, families, and communities around the world. The declaration now includes more than 18,800 healthcare professionals, public health experts and advocates from 142 countries, with the support from Global Citizen, the World Health Organization and other partners. The Global Declaration has been featured at several events since the launch at the 76th World Health Assembly in May, such as a side event at Women Deliver in Kigali, Rwanda, co-hosted by the Union for International Cancer Control and a side event at the 73rd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa. You can read more in this recent op-ed by Karen Nakawala, Founder of the Teal Sisters Foundation, who participated in the event and shared her story as a cervical cancer survivor.
For more information contact FREEMAN, Richard
World Diabetes Day
This World Diabetes Day, WHO will highlight the need for equitable access to essential care, including raising awareness of ways people with diabetes can reduce their risk of complications [https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-diabetes-day/2023] . There will be several events, both at WHO and across regions, including:
- 13 November - WHO and the International Diabetes Federation will co-host a virtual webinar highlighting perspectives from the diabetes community and discussing collective progress towards 2030.
- 14 November - WHO will host a live event on various social media platforms watch here for details
- 14 November - PAHO hosts a regional commemoration on 14 November in Mexico City to commemorate World Diabetes Day 2023, highlighting regional successes, challenges and opportunities in diabetes prevention and control. Register for online attendance For more information contact Dr Carmen Antini, Advisor, Diabetes Prevention and Control, PAHO
For more information about World Diabetes Day at WHO contact
National Conference on Diabetes Prevention and Control in Beijing
12 November: The China NCD center, which acts as a WHO collaborating center on community based NCD care, will hold a National Conference on Diabetes Prevention and Control in Beijing on November 12, jointly with the Diabetes Society of the Chinese Medical Association. The WHO NCD Department and Global Tuberculosis Programme will provide input, including resource materials from the WHO Global Diabetes Compact, recorded keynote presentation from Annabel Baddeley about Collaborative action for TB and Diabetes, covering WHO recommendations, tools including the recent released TB Screening App to help countries implement the best suited strategy including prioritizing risk groups for screening, example of collaborative care models, and the evidence gap. A virtual roundtable on Response on diabetes and its comorbidities in the aging society will also be held. The China NCD Center was established in 2002. It serves as a national professional institution and technical instruction center for NCD prevention and control in China. It is the WHO Collaborating Center on community-based integrated NCD control and prevention.
For more information contact Hongyi XU
5th meeting of the WHO Global Diabetes Compact Forum
1-2 November The 5th meeting of the WHO Global Diabetes Compact Forum discussed WHO’s ongoing work on diabetes including assistive technology and diabetic foot, the WHO Model Lists of Essential Medicines, access to essential medicines and associated health technologies, and the monitoring framework for the global diabetes coverage targets.
For more information contact Sanjana MARPADGA
Launch of WHO European Guide on Therapeutic Patient Education
15 November: The launch event for the WHO European Guide on Therapeutic Patient Education will take place on November 15, at 9.00-11.00 CET. The guide is a ‘how-to’ implementation guide for those responsible for designing, delivering or commissioning & delivering patient education through training programmes for health professionals and services for people living with NCDs. The online webinar with the WHO/Europe Regional
Director’s Special Advisor on NCDs and Innovation will discuss illustrating aspects of the guide- with examples from different countries and personal perspectives.
Regional consultation on economic and commercial determinants
From 17-19 October, the WHO South-East Asia Regional Office convened a pivotal consultation focused on the economic and commercial determinants of health in the region. Attended by member state representatives of the Ministries of Health, Trade, Economy, Commerce and Industry, as well as civil society, experts, and practitioners from United Nations organisations, the meeting was the first of its kind for the region and the second globally to have dialogue on the subject, the meeting fostered valuable exchanges of knowledge and insights, deepening the understanding of regional health priorities and strategic alignments suitable in the regional context. Attendees were briefed on both global and regional conceptualisations and evidence. WHO Global Report on the Commercial Determinants of Health along with possible points of action at country and regional levels. Experiences, challenges, inputs, and priorities shared by the attendees will documented in the meeting report and a technical paper conducted by WHO SEARO in 2024, followed by the development of scoping studies and policy briefs for selected countries by 2025 to sensitise health programmes and relevant development sectors. WHO HQ will, additionally, incorporate inputs shared into its broader programme of work and as revisions in the ongoing drafting of the Global Report.
For more information contact Juliette MCHARDY
2023 China Conference on NCD Prevention and Control
21-22 October WHO presented recommendations for NCDs, including opening remarks from WHO representative, a recorded keynote speech from the Director of the NCD department, and presentation at break-out session. Organizers were keen to contribute towards the work of the WHO and global health, sharing experiences and knowledge, and hosting international NCD technical meetings. The theme of this NCD conference was: New Era, New Journey, Striving for High Quality Development of NCD Prevention and Control, and was attended by more than 1000 professionals from national, provincial medical institutions, hospitals and local CDCs and community health service centers. The conference focused on policy management, integration and implementation. In the spotlight is a mayor’s forum, organized by the China NCD center. In all, 8 mayors from 8 provinces in China exchanged various experiences of prevention and control of NCDs in their municipality. The China NCD Center was established in 2002. It serves as a national professional institution and technical instruction center for NCD prevention and control in China. It is the WHO Collaborating Center on community-based integrated NCD control and prevention.
For more information contact Hongyi XU
WHO NCD Department and Alliance Kick-Off NCD Implementation Research Projects
The WHO NCD Department and the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research convened the kick-off meeting to inaugurate four projects on NCD Implementation Research. These research projects, supported by WHO Norway's NCD Flagship Initiative and funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, are designed to bolster the delivery of integrated, person-centred NCD services at the primary healthcare (PHC) level.
The projects include designing, implementing and assessing: In Ethiopia, the delivery of comprehensive diabetes, hypertension, and cervical cancer services through an adapted HEARTS package.
- In Ghana, the integration of hypertension and diabetes care with HIV services.
- In India, the utilization of m-health technology and community health workers to enhance drug adherence for coronary artery disease.
- In Nepal, the role of female community health volunteers in reducing systolic blood pressure.
This meeting served as a catalyst for the exchange of ideas and expertise. It brought together WHO staff members from the NCD Department and the Alliance, representatives from WHO country offices, and the four dedicated research teams. The collaborative environment fostered information sharing, networking, and inspired brainstorming sessions, all aimed at advancing NCD-related implementation research at PHC level. Stay tuned as we embark on this journey to enhance NCD services through implementation research. We anticipate sharing the study findings at the beginning of next year, marking a significant step forward in our commitment to tackling NCDs.
For further information contact: Sarah Rylance rylances@who.int
COP5 of the Minamata Convention on Mercury
30 October - 03 November was the COP5 of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. WHO has been actively involved to support the discussions on the dental amalgam provisions and to highlight the vital role of the health sector in accelerating its phase-down. Here's a glimpse of the exciting developments.
Global Survey Results: WHO and the Minamata Convention Secretariat jointly conducted a global survey to monitor the progress in phasing down dental amalgam use an the preliminary results are in, 79 countries participated. The majority are actively working towards the phase-down of dental amalgam use, with a focus on promoting cost-effective and clinically effective mercury-free alternatives. However, more action is needed to implement the new mandatory provisions adopted at COP4, as only half of the participating countries have implemented them.
COP5 Online Event: An online event was held featuring three GEF-funded projects aimed at supporting countries in phasing down dental amalgam use, eliminating mercury-containing skin lightening products, and phasing out mercury measuring devices in healthcare. This event underlined the importance of health sector involvement, synergies between projects, and collaboration between Ministries of Health and Environment. Click here to watch the recording.
Global Project Steering Committee Meeting: COP5 was also a timely opportunity to conduct the second meeting of the Global Project Steering Committee for the GEF7 Phasing Down Dental Amalgam project. WHO, UNEP and delegations from Senegal, Thailand, and Uruguay participated. The Committee discussed key decisions to guide the project in 2024, including mainstreaming gender issues into project activities.
COP5 decision on dental amalgam amendment: After extensive deliberations, COP5 agreed to update Annex A Part II by adding a new mandatory measure. Parties that have not phased out dental amalgam must now submit a national action plan or a report on the progress they have made or are making to phase down or phase out dental amalgam every four years. It was also decided to further consider at the next COP the proposals to set a phase-out date for dental amalgam and exclude its use in government insurance policies and programmes. WHO is committed to supporting countries in implementing a more ambitious agenda on dental amalgam within the framework of Minamata Convention toward achieving sustainable oral health care and protect planetary health.
For more information contact Benoit VARENNE
Less Alcohol Webinar Series: Addressing blind spots to accelerate the implementation of high-impact policy interventions 2023
7 November: 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:
- 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 subscribe to the Less Alcohol newsletter or contact: lessalcohol@who.int
Joint UN Session during London Global Cancer Week
The joint UN Session during London Global Cancer Week is scheduled for 13 November from 10:00-15:00 CET, will be dedicated to Cancer in crisis: from conflict to commercial threats, understanding the lived experiences and commercial determinants of cancer and consist of three sessions: The first session will dedicated to the Cancer in humanitarian crises settings and will be hosted jointly by WHO, IAEA and IARC on November 13, between 10:00 and 12:00 CET. The second session will be dedicated to the Understand the lived experiences and how to create enabling systems to provide person–centred care and will take place from 12:15 -13:15 CET. The third session will be dedicated to Commercial determinants of cancer and will take place from 13:30 -15:00 CET. The three overall session objectives are to draw urgent attention to the cancer in humanitarian crises settings, understand the lived experiences and how to create enabling systems to provide person–centred care and raise awareness of commercial determinants of cancer. Register here.
For Upcoming NCD Days & Events
14 November World Diabetes Day
15 November World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Day
17 November Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action
Do you have upcoming events? Contact Anne Kennedy
Please send your updates for inclusion in the next edition of the NCDs Newsflash: johannesa@who.int
