THERE is now a new high-level commission, composed of heads of states and ministers, leaders in health and development and entrepreneurs.
The group will propose bold and innovative solutions to accelerate prevention and control of the leading killers on the planet – non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart and lung disease, cancers, and diabetes.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Independent Global High-level Commission on NCDs is co-chaired by President Tabaré Vázquez of Uruguay; President Maithripala Sirisena of Sri Lanka; President Sauli Niinistö of Finland; Veronika Skvortsova, Minister of Healthcare of the Russian Federation; and Sania Nishtar, former Federal Minister of Pakistan.
Seven in 10 deaths globally every year are from NCDs, the main contributors to which are tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets, and physical inactivity.
More than 15 million people between the ages of 30 and 70 years die from NCDs annually.
Low- and lower-middle income countries are increasingly affected, with half of premature deaths from NCDs occurring in those countries.
Many lives can be saved from NCDs through early diagnosis and improved access to quality and affordable treatment, as well as a whole-of-government approach to reduce the main risk factors.
WHO says that for the first time, more people are dying of non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, than other infectious diseases.
This loss of human life spares no one – rich or poor, young or old – and it imposes heavy economic costs on nations.
The new Commission was established by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and will run until October 2019.
It will provide actionable recommendations to contribute to the Third United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting on NCDs scheduled for the second half of 2018.
This will include the submission of its first report to Tedros in early June.
“Everybody deserves the right to a healthy life,” says Tedros.
We can beat the drivers of the NCD epidemic, which are among the world’s main obstacles to health.
Tedros is looking to the Commission to show us new ways to unblock the barriers to good health, and identify innovative, bold and practical actions steps to scale up prevention and treatment of NCDs and provide health for all.
Co-chair Dr. Nishtar says the Commission’s establishment has come at an opportune time, as the world prepares for the UN High-level Meeting on NCDs.
“This year, governments will be held to account on progress they have made in protecting their citizens from NCDs,” says Nishtar.
Adding that while there have been improvements in some countries and regions, the overall rate of progress has been unacceptably slow. This is resulting in too many people suffering and dying needlessly from NCDs, and leaving families, communities and governments to bear the human and economic costs.
The World Health Assembly has endorsed the set of WHO “best buys” and other cost-effective interventions proven to prevent or delay most premature NCD deaths.
Such measures, which can be readily scaled up in countries, target prevention and treatment of, and raising awareness about, NCDs. (jaypeeyap@ymail.com/PN)
