Allianza de ENT

On 23rd December 2010, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a UN Modalities Resolution outlining the length, details and agenda of the UN Summit on Non- Communicable Diseases (NCDs), which will take place on 19–20th September 2011 in New York. 

Brussels, Belgium 06 December 2010 NCDs cause 60% of all global deaths, but receive just 2.3% of international development assistance for health. 80% of deaths caused by NCDs occur in developing countries. Yet, the international community displays no sense of urgency or outrage about NCDs, the silent killer that is threatening development and economic progress.

In a comment linked to the newly launched Lancet 3rd Series on Chronic Diseases and Development, federations representing the four priority chronic diseases (cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes) say that "If governments and aid agencies continue to ignore this threat, we will sleepwalk into a future in which healthy people will be in a minority, obese and unhealthy children die before their parents, and economic development and already vulnerable health systems are overwhelmed.

Olavarría: Tobacco Free City, a city-run tobacco advocacy, education, and support program, was presented with the globally-recognized Louise Lown Heart Hero Award from ProCor. Olavarría, a city of 120,000 people 350km south of Buenos Aires, faces an uphill battle in its fight against tobacco: Argentina has the second highest smoking prevalence in all of Central and South America. According to local health data, one-third of adults in Olavarría use tobacco and almost half of the mortality rate is attributed to chronic diseases such as hypertension, stroke, and cancer.

On the 1st of November, the Center for Global Development issued a working paper called ‘Where Have All the Donors Gone?: Scarce Funding for Chronic Diseases’ by Rachel Nugent and Andrea Feigl, shedding light on the current funding situation for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Although providing a glimmer of hope by showing that funding is on the rise, the report shows that funding for NCDs is worryingly low.

A major donation to the NCD Alliance in the lead-up to the United Nations Summit on Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) was announced today in the form of a USD$1 million grant by the Medtronic Foundation. The financial commitment was announced at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) in New York as part of an overall strategic effort to reduce the burden of NCDs.

In less than one year’s time, a momentous opportunity will present itself to put non-communicable diseases (NCDs) on the global health and development agenda. The UN High Level Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases in September 2011 is a global platform from which the world can be moved from rhetoric to action.

The final Declaration of the annual United Nations conference for NGOs recognises noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) as one of the significant health challenges facing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Declaration from the Conference, agreed by 1,600 participants representing over 350 NGOs from more than 70 countries, also called on governments to “respect and implement” international health agreements such as the FCTC.

The NCD Alliance welcomes a consultation report released by the United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS) summarizing the progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The report, which compiles civil society’s views on subjects relating to the achievement of the MDGs, will prove to be a valuable resource leading up to the MDG Summit.

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations recently highlighted the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) on women and girls and called on the international community to take action on addressing NCDs and strengthen health systems. In a communiqué issued after a high-level meeting from June 28 to July 2 in New York, ECOSOC’s 54 member countries recognized, “the increasing incidence of NCDs and their impact on women.” They stressed the need for multi-sectoral responses and the integration of cost-effective interventions aimed at combating these diseases.