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. 

“This announcement is a critical step towards the action needed to turn around the growing epidemic of NCDs in low- and middle-income countries. We are very thankful for Medtronic’s donation to the NCD Alliance and its efforts in the fight against NCDs,” said Ann Keeling, Chair of the NCD Alliance Steering Committee and Chief Executive Officer of the International Diabetes Federation.

With the UN Summit less than one year away, plans are well underway to maximize the opportunity to put NCDs, which include diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease and chronic respiratory disease, and their common risk factors of tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol, on the global health and development agenda. Grants like this one, which will be delivered to the NCD Alliance over a two- year period, will make a strong contribution to the Summit’s success.

“Medtronic is making an unprecedented, long-term strategic commitment to the fight against non-communicable diseases. By working with global stakeholders, we can bring the innovative solutions necessary to combat and ultimately overcome the unique challenges of the burgeoning chronic disease epidemic,” said Bill Hawkins, Medtronic’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

The NCD Alliance has published a Plan of Action for the UN NCD Summit which outlines a coordinated and resourced programme of work to be undertaken by civil society in the next 12 months. The NCD Alliance is calling for the UN NCD Summit to deliver a set of outcomes which help stop or reverse the growing burden of NCDs affecting millions of people around the world. Governments should allocate more resources to improve NCD early detection, diagnosis, treatment and care in current health systems and in the context of a robust national NCD Control Plan.

Specifically, the UN Summit should reinforce the importance of governments completing the full obligations contained in the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The NCD Alliance believes that the UN should seek to identify and implement globally agreed approaches to NCD treatment and care. The NCD Alliance supports the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) but believe the achievement of the MDGs will be undermined by the growing NCD epidemic. Without doubt, NCDs should be included in the successor goals to the MDGs in 2015. “The UN Summit will be a key opportunity for governments to demonstrate their recognition that NCDs are a global development priority requiring an urgent response.

Today’s announcement will greatly contribute towards the global fight against NCDs. With a combination of proven interventions, medicines, technologies, and lifestyle changes, we believe we can cut the human cost of 14 million annual premature deaths from NCDs,” Ms Keeling added. About Medtronic US company Medtronic, Inc is the global leader in medical technology – alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life for millions of people around the world.

More info at www.medtronic.com.

About The NCD Alliance The NCD Alliance was formed by the four leading NCD Federations – International Diabetes Federation (IDF), World Heart Federation (WHF), Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) – to coordinate an effective global response to the global burden of NCDs. Learn about other partner organizations and supporters at www.ncdalliance.org.