Read this newsletter to find out about several key events, including the third World Non-Communicable Diseases Congress in Canada, webinars on disability, medication, and oral health, along with regional highlights such as the regional action framework in the Western Pacific, the role of trade, economics & human rights in preventing obesity in the Caribbean. 

World Non-Communicable Diseases Congress 2023 

25-30 June: The third World Non-Communicable Diseases Congress #WNCD2023 gathered international experts seeking to advance knowledge and expertise on #NCDs, to assess their impact globally and to develop public health measures and recommendations to mitigate and contain them. The Congress covered major NCDs such as cardiovascular disease, #Cancer, #Diabetes, Respiratory, and #MentalHealth and their risk factors, through the lenses of traditional health sciences as well as policy, health promotion and use of modern application tools such as Big Data, Machine Language and Artificial Intelligence, Wearable Technologies to assess NCD, and more. It  incorporated the co- morbidities and interaction between infectious diseases and NCDs, with a special focus on low- and middle-income countries. 

At the opening Bente Mikkelsen and George Alleyne gave key note addresses, mentioning the 2023 Bridgetown Declaration on NCDs and Mental Health, SIDS High-level technical meeting on NCDs and mental health. Speaking at an World Health Organization event focused on diabetes, Slim Slama noted that diabetes, the ninth leading cause of death, is on the rise, with the prevalence having risen faster in low- and middle-income countries. Insulin was discovered at the University of Toronto by Dr Banting, Dr Best and other collaborators, they could have profited greatly from this invention but gave it away to the world so that there would be insulin for all in need. In 2021 the World Health Organization Global Diabetes Compact was launched alongside the Government of Canada and the University of Toronto. Other experts working  or impacted by NCDs were @Adhiyat Najam, Bruno Helman, Canadian MEP @Sonia Sidhu, Russell Williams. 

For further information contact Dr. Slim Slama SLAMA

NCD Hard talk on medication adherence 

NCD Hard Talk webinar “Take as prescribed. How behavioral science can support medication adherence for NCDs.” 

5th July: Taking daily medication to treat a noncommunicable disease (NCD), such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes requires many different steps and actors. Health workers guide and support the patient and record data; pharmacists provide information and counselling on drug dose and side effects; supply chain managers ensure continuous access to medications; and the patient needs to create a daily routine to take her medicine. The NCD Hard Talk titled “Take as prescribed. How behavioral science can support medication adherence for NCDs.” explored this with distinguished experts who shared insights into the behaviors associated with NCD medication adherence. Speakers highlighted challenges at different levels of the system: patient, practice and programme; and reflected on factors that influence behavior: psychological, social, and environmental. Moving from theory to practice, panelists and the audience were challenged to identify realistic solutions for application on the ground. 

For further information contact: HOGENDORF, Martyna

Regional action framework for noncommunicable disease prevention and control in the Western Pacific 

22 June: The Regional Action Framework for Noncommunicable Disease Prevention and Control provided a unified vision of objectives and recommended actions to combat the noncommunicable disease (‎NCD)‎ epidemic in the Western Pacific Region. Implementation should be supported by cross-sectoral coordination, sustainable financing, evidence-based policy, and community engagement, tailored to each Member State’s unique context. In doing so, Member States are encouraged to transform a disease treatment-centered “sick system” into a “health system” in which a population’s health and well-being enable socioeconomic development. 

For further information contact the Division of Healthy Environments and Populations

WHO disability-inclusive health services training package: a companion to the Disability-inclusive health services toolkit 

22 June: The WHO Disability-Inclusive Health Services Training Package is a companion to the “WHO Disability-Inclusive Health Services Toolkit: A resource for health facilities in the Western Pacific Region” published by WHO in 2020. This package offers a range of additional training materials including presentations, workbooks and videos that will allow users to develop the foundational skills and understanding of the Toolkit for its implementation. Together the Toolkit and Training Package will help ensure equitable access to health services, best-quality outcomes and improved quality of life for all people with disabilities to achieve universal health coverage. 

For further information contact the Western Pacific office

World Hypertension League Newsletter 

The June edition of the World Hypertension League newsletter is out, to continue their mission of global hypertension control and prevention, by providing resource materials and information. This edition highlights the many activities for World Hypertension Day reported by their members, societies and partners around the world, including the Indian governments launch of an ambitious initiative of screening and placing 75 million people with hypertension or diabetes on Standard Care by 2025. With the ‘Hot off the Presses’ and ‘Hypertension on the Ground’ sections providing new and practical information and evidence from recent initiatives. 

For further information contact the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Daniel Lackland

New WHO AI tool invites people to counter online promotion of unhealthy products 

23 June: In a significant move towards hospital transformation, WHO/Europe and the Ministry of Health of Azerbaijan recently convened a high-level regional meeting gathering government representatives, hospital practitioners and partners to address the pressing challenges confronting hospitals in the WHO European Region. At the meeting, WHO/Europe also launched two new technical reports that will guide countries’ efforts to address these specific challenges as they heal, improve and transform their hospitals. WHO/Europe is calling upon consumers to become a part of a project aimed at creating a healthier society. You can contribute to the training of an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that will help countries across the WHO European Region to effectively monitor and regulate the promotion of harmful products that are mainly targeted at children: from tobacco and alcohol to foods high in salt, trans fats and sugars. 

For further information contact Dr Kremlin Wickramasinghe, WHO/Europe’s Regional Adviser on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity

Breaking Barriers: Trade, Economics & Human Rights considerations in shaping Obesity Prevention Policies in the Caribbean 

30 June: The webinar Breaking Barriers: Trade, Economics & Human Rights considerations in shaping Obesity Prevention Policies in the Caribbean, was held jointly with the Caribbean Public Health Law Forum, aiming to promote further dialogue on the WHO/PAHO evidence-based policy recommendations on the nutritional warning system and the latest evidence addressed in the recent British Medical Journal publication: “Effects of front-of-package nutrition labelling systems on understanding and purchase intention in Jamaica:  results from a multiarm randomized controlled trial”. The session presented the latest evidence on the performance of FOPL systems and provided the latest published research that responds to commonly asked questions about the nutrition warning system and the trade, economical and legal implications for the Caribbean. The webinar series brought together academics, senior policymakers in the field of health, finance, trade and civil society from the Caribbean, Canada, Europe and Australia. 

For further information contact Fabio Gomes, Advisor, Nutrition and Physical Activity, PAHO

Webinar launch of online course on oral health 

Webinar to celebrate the launch of an online course on oral health for community health workers in the WHO African Region 

7 July: The WHO Regional Office for Africa in collaboration with the Harvard School of Dental Medicine has developed an online course on oral health for community health workers. To celebrate the launch of this course on OpenWHO took place to introduce the course content. It described how the course can contribute to strengthening the oral health workforce as part of regional and global strategies on oral health and discuss how to move to the implementation phase towards integration of the course as part of existing health system strengthening initiatives.

For further information contact: MAKINO, Yuka 

WHO Director-General Remarks 

University of Coimbra, Portugal – 28 June

I have noted ... the university’s current work on obesity and promoting healthy lifestyles, and research to find novel therapeutic approaches to cardiovascular conditions, rare diseases and nervous system disorders. 

For further information contact the Director-General 

Health, economics, well-being: new partnerships to find common ground in addressing regional challenges 

23 June: As health systems and health-care providers across the WHO European Region face mounting crises, many linked to socioeconomic and other challenges, WHO/Europe convened a wider range of partnerships to encourage countries to adopt economies of well-being with health at the centre. This growing coalition includes entities from the worlds of economics and finance, including banks and other financial institutions, relevant ministries, and other stakeholders. In Venice, Italy, on 9 June 2023, WHO/Europe launched a groundbreaking collaboration with the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (the Italian National Institute of Health, ISS) and Banca D'Italia (the Bank of Italy). Participants at the dialogue also included representatives from Finland, Iceland, Lithuania, and the United Kingdom including Wales, and renowned international experts from Greece, Ireland and the United Kingdom. 

For further information contact: WHO Venice office

Aging and NCDs in the Region of the Americas  

Advances on science helped lengthened the years of life, but aging is now increasing the burden of non-communicable diseases in the Region of the Americas  

30 June Washington, DC (PAHO)- Aging increases the burden of non-communicable diseases in the Region of the Americas, and for that, population growth and aging should be factored into healthcare planning. That is one of the main findings in the recent study done by PAHO experts and published in The Lancet Regional Health Americas magazine. Titled the rising burden of non-communicable diseases in the Americas and the impact of population aging: a secondary analysis of available data, the study analyzes the importance of population growth and aging also providing a supplementary summary briefing for each country analyzed. 

For further information contact the Publications Team 

Call to join WHO Advisory Group

Call for Experts to join WHO Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (STAG-NCD) 

30 June: WHO is seeking experts to serve as members of the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (STAG-NCD). STAG-NCD was established in 2021 to act as an advisory body to WHO to further WHO’s leadership and coordination role in promoting and monitoring global action against noncommunicable diseases. The STAG-NCD members have a broad range of technical knowledge and skills for NCDs, including scientists, public health experts, healthcare professionals, innovators and policy-makers with expertise in NCDs. For more information and how to apply see below. 

For further information contact the NCD Department