Debate about NCDs featured prominently at the WHO Executive Board (EB) all last week and the NCD community had a significant impact on deliberations by Member States – both those represented on the Board and those in attendance.  The EB made some progress in defining a process and timeline for work on NCDs but lack of resources for this work remains a serious concern.

This update includes brief details on:

1. The main NCD resolution on WHO’s work plan in relation to the Political Declaration (PD)
2. The timeline agreed through the resolution
3. NCDA lobbying during the week and discussions on NCDs outside the EB meeting
4. Resolutions on access to active ageing and mental health; papers on Social Determinants and Rio+20

1. The main resolution on NCDs

a) On Friday 20 January, the EB adopted the resolution EB130.R7, outlining the process for implementing paragraphs 61 (global monitoring framework), 62 (targets and indicators) and 64 (partnerships) of the PD.

b) The resolution, co-sponsored by Australia, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Kenya, Norway, Russia, Switzerland and the US, was intended to ensure WHO has a clear timeline for the actions required of it by the PD.

c) The key paragraphs read as follows (our emphasis in bold):

• OP2 (1) (e): Submit a substantive progress report on the development of a framework, including a set of indicators and targets, to the sixty-fifth World Health Assembly for consideration (i.e. May 2012)
• OP2 (1) (g) Complete the work on the global monitoring framework, including a set of targets and indicators, based on a Member State consultation held before the end of 2012
• OP2 (1) (h) Report on the recommendations relating to paragraphs 61 and 62 of the Political Declaration through the Executive Board at its 132nd session to the Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly (i.e. May 2013)

d) Now that Member States have agreed on this language, the practical implications of the text will be interpreted by WHO and their legal team.  It remains unclear whether the targets must go to WHA in May 2013 for adoption.

e) Other important points in the resolution include:

• WHO to consult on options for effective partnership and submit a progress report and a timeline on how it is dealing with this work to WHA 2012
• Timor Leste and France added language calling for appropriate safeguards against conflict of interest in relation to partnerships
• The next Global Action Plan on NCDs will run from 2013 to 2020.  WHO must have that draft plan ready for the EB to consider in January 2013 (so really this means ready by October this year) and for possible adoption by WHA in May 2013
• WHO to provide support to countries in enhancing access to essential medicines

2. The agreed timeline is as follows:

a) End of January: WHO will provide Member States with additional information requested at first Member State consultation on 9 January (this focussed mainly on how the 10 example targets WHO put up were selected and how they would work in practice at national level)

b) End February: a web-based Member State consultation on the current draft framework and indicators and targets will close (this refers to the Discussion Paper that was issued on 21 December)

c) March: WHO will revise their proposals for the monitoring framework and example targets

d) Before WHA in May (date to be set – could be any time from late March to early May): a second Member State consultation will be held

e) Before WHA in May: WHO to hold consultations with all interested stakeholders

f) At WHA in May: WHO to present a substantive progress report, including initial indicators and targets for consideration

g) From February to June:  Regional consultations will provide further input into the framework/target process as part of their broader discussions on implementation of the PD and of the new Global Action Plan

h) Before end of 2012: WHO to hold another Member State consultation and complete the work on the global monitoring framework, including a set of indicators and target, based on that consultation

i) January and May 2013:  WHO to report on recommendations relating to paragraphs 61 and 62 of the PD through the EB in January to WHA in May for consideration

3. NCDA lobbying during the week and discussions on NCDs outside the EB meeting

a) NCDA Statement to the EB was delivered by Cary Adams, CEO of UICC on behalf of the Alliance and 54 NGO co-signatories, during the main debate on NCDs on Thursday 19 January and handed to EB members as they left.  The purpose of the statement was to keep the pressure on Member States to make progress at WHA 2012, as well as broaden their scope for key targets.  Several other NGOs delivered statements to the EB on NCDs, including by Medicus Mundi and Consumers International.

b) NCDA held meetings with Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Norway and Qatar before the NCD debate to press for a stepped approach, with targets that have already passed WHO tests to be adopted in WHA in May and more priority targets to be added before the end of 2012.  Our lobbying obviously had an impact but there is still a long way to go to get the right mix of targets and indicators adopted, the monitoring framework into a workable format, and to get both embedded in the next Action Plan from the beginning.

c) A WHO Member State briefing on NCDs took place on Wednesday lunchtime, chaired by Qatar and with presentations by Norway and Uganda.  Very few Member States knew about it and we only learned about it after the fact.  Nevertheless, it was reported that Dr Chan spoke passionately about the need for action on the PD commitments, and she repeated that to us in person on Thursday.

4. Resolutions and discussions on related priorities

a) Resolutions on active ageing and on mental health were debated and revised before being adopted.  We heard a number of participants arguing that mental health deserved its own High-Level Meeting.

b) A paper was presented on the Rio conference on social determinants and a resolution on preparations for the Rio+20 conference in June.

c) Both during the member state consultation on 9 Jan and during the EB, there was much discussion about the need for WHO to develop a new initiative to improve access to essential medicines – maybe in part because the development of targets and indicators has (so far) barely touched on this issue. 

Please continue to check our website and twitter feed for additional details. If you have information to share on your country’s position, or questions about the resolution, please contact us at [email protected]