NCD Alliance

Given the dramatic increase in the numbers of overweight or obese people in the past 30 years, the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) has published a new report, Future Diets, which traces how the changes in diet - more fat, more meat, more sugar and bigger portions - have led to a looming health crisis.

Recent newspaper coverage reports that the World Health Organisation is considering new guidlines that would halve the amount of sugar that it recommends people should have in their diet.

A confidential draft paper agreed by WHO experts states and leaked to the The Sunday Times proposes that there should be a “reduction of free sugars intake to 5% or less of total energy”.

Many obesity and health experts say such a change cannot come quickly enough, given skyrocketing obesity rates across the globe.

After months of consultations with relevant stakeholders and a discussion at the 66th World Health Assembly in May 2013, Member States endorsed a final draft of the Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs 2013-2020.

The Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) has recently launched a report on World COPD Day entitled Respiratory diseases in the world. Realities of Today – Opportunities for Tomorrow.

The Third Global Forum on Human Resources for Health (the Forum) was one of the main global health events in 2013, bringing together over 1000 policy makers, experts and advocates in the health workforce field, and frontline health workers.

The  theme was Human Resources for Health: foundation for Universal Health Coverage and the post-2015 development agenda. Organised by the Global Health Workforce Allance in Recife, Brazil, from 10-13 November 2013 in collaboration with the Government of Brazil, WHO and PAHO.

The World Heart Federation has launched the Emerging Leaders Programme, a new programme to support the development of experts who will collaborate, research and act to reduce premature mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) globally by at least 25% by 2025.

For more information and to apply to be an Emerging Leader, please click here.

Launch of new World Cancer Declaration at the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit in Cape Town, South Africa.

Originally launched in 2006, the World Cancer Declaration (the Declaration) has helped to bring the growing cancer crisis to the attention of government leaders and health policy-makers, and to drive new government commitments in the global fight against cancer and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) - mainly cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory disease - are not just one of the world’s most pressing health concerns but also a significant development challenge. They impede social and economic development and are driven by underlying social, economic, political, environmental and cultural factors, broadly known as ‘social determinants’.

Working alongside specialist health partners, actors outside the health sector are uniquely well positioned to address the social determinants of NCDs.

World Cancer Research Fund International released two new publications.

Launched on October 11 2012, this is the second year we celebrate this special day  dedicated to promoting girls' human rights, highlight gender inequalities that remain between girls and boys and address the various forms of discrimination and abuse suffered by girls around the world.