UN adopts declaration to fight non-communicable diseases

By JT Nguyen Sep 19, 2011, 19:26 GMT

New York - The UN General Assembly on Monday adopted a political declaration that includes measures to prevent and control non-communicable diseases, which are blamed for 36 million of the world's 57 million deaths each year.

The adoption of the document, which was drafted before the meeting, was made at the start of the two-day debate on ways to curb deaths from various forms of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases and mental illness.

The World Health Organization said 80 per cent of the 36 million deaths occurred in developing countries.

WHO and UN officials addressing the first UN forum on non-communicable diseases said NCDs can be prevented with simple measures like cycling to work rather than driving, physical exercise, stopping tobacco use and enhancing nutrition. They said both the public and private sectors can afford to treat NCDs.

The declaration encourages the development of government policies for equitable health-promoting environments that give individuals, families and communities a guideline to make 'healthy choices and lead healthy lives.'

It calls on governments to implement WHO's convention on tobacco control and a global strategy on diet, plysical activity and health. WHO was called upon to work out before the end of 2012 a global plan to monitor how governments are taking steps to prevent and control the spread of NCDs.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who opened the NCD conference, said statistics are grim on the seriousness of NCD-related deaths, which WHO predicted will increase by 17 per cent in the next decade. But in Africa, that number will jump by 24 per cent.

'These statistics are alarming - but we know how to drive them down,' he said. Ban said treatment can be afforded by all sectors and prevention costs very little, including physical exercise.

Ban was to join US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and other high-ranking government officials to discuss nutrition, focusing in particular on nutrition for school children.

He urged giant drug and food industries to act responsibly and said they should be held accountable for products that may contribute to the spread of NCDs.

The two-day conference ending on Tuesday at UN headquarters allowed governments and the private sector, including drug and food industries, to discuss ways to curb death and the NCDs. Some 140 government leaders and organizations had signed up to speak and exchange views.

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