G20 Osaka Summit
© Japan Government

NCDs included in G20 Leaders' Declaration

02nd July 2019

The meeting of G20 Heads of State and Government in Osaka on 28-29 June 2019 culminated in a Leaders' Declaration, which includes a focus on health and ageing. 

The leaders' statement talks of aims to address "inequalities and realise a society where all individuals can make use of their full potential". Under the Japanese Presidency of the G20, demographic change is one of the key challenges on the leaders' agenda. The statement recognises that ageing societies require policy actions that span fiscal, monetary, financial, labour market and other structural policies. A section on global health looks ahead to the HLM on UHC and reiterates the importance of sustainable financing and closer cooperation across governments following a joint meeting of Finance and Health Ministers. 
 
The declaration also recognises the importance of "Primary health care including access to medicines, vaccination, nutrition, water and sanitation, health promotion and disease prevention is a cornerstone for advancing health and inclusion." 
NCD Alliance provided inputs to the G20 meeting via the C20 group of civil society organisations, together with Alzheimer's Disease International, who were represented in Japan in the run up to the Summit. In particular, the G20 leaders undertake to "promote healthy and active ageing through policy measures to address health promotion, prevention and control of communicable and noncommunicable diseases, and through people-centered, multi-sectoral, community-based integrated health and long-term care over the life course in accordance with national context including demographic trends. We will implement comprehensive set of policies to address dementia, including promoting risk reduction and sustainable provision of long-term care as well as inclusive societies aiming to improve quality of lives of people with dementia and caregivers." Under a section on women's empowerment, the leaders commit to "address the gender gap in unpaid care work which remains a major obstacle to women’s participation in the labour market."
 

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