mentary to global health efforts already in place.
Steps range from price and tax measures to reduce tobacco consumption to curbing the extensive marketing to children, particularly on television, of foods and beverages that are high in saturated fats, sugars and salts.
Following examination of the report, participants at the two-day meeting adopted a Political Declaration calling for a multi-faceted campaign by governments, industry and communities to develop the plans needed to curb the risk factors of the four major groups of NCDs by 2013.
“Our collaboration is more than a public health necessity. Non-communicable diseases are a threat to development and hit the poor and vulnerable particularly hard, driving them deeper into poverty,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during his address to the General Assembly, adding that millions of families are driven into poverty each year when a family member becomes too weak to work, or when the cost of medicines and healthcare treatments overwhelm the family budget.
The Secretary-General also called on businesses to do their part, affirming his strong belief that the power of industry can improve the world. “There is a well-documented and shameful history of certain players in industry who ignored science, sometimes even their own research, and put health at risk to protect their own profits.”
Ki-moon went on to say that there are many industry giants who have acted responsibly and that everyone needs to be held accountable to root out the “disgraceful actions” of the few.
Noting that the rising prevalence, morbidity and mortality associated with NCDs can largely be prevented and controlled through collective and multisectoral methods by all member states and other relevant stakeholders, the declaration highlighted the need for universal national health coverage and strengthened international cooperation to assist developing countries. Finally, it called on the WHO, as the specialized UN agency for health and the forerunner of the global health effort, to set up a comprehensive global monitoring framework and prepare recommendations for voluntary global targets before the end of 2012.
To that end, the Secretary-General made five recommendations with a view toward further progress. First, to implement a comprehensive government approach to adopting population-wide interventions that address risk factors. Second, to undertake sustained primary healthcare measures, including prioritized modules describing essential interventions, along with palliative and long-term care, for those who already have NCDs or are at high risk of contracting them. Third, to strengthen the capacity of member states to monitor these diseases, as well as their risk factors and determinants, especially in lower-income countries. Social data disaggregated by gender was also encouraged. Fourth, to harness lessons learned from national HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria programs in low and middle-income countries for effective integration of communicable diseases and NCDs into all health initiatives. Finally, prioritize the prevention and control of NCDs through commitments by governments, the private sector, civil society, the UN and other international organizations.
Tobacco control efforts
The tobacco control ‘wins’ in the summit’s Political Declaration include accelerated implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (see boxhead-bottom right), although without mention of the treaty’s guidelines; recognition of the “fundamental conflict of interest” between the tobacco industry and public health; reference to tobacco taxation as an effective and important means of reducing tobacco consumption; a tie-in to the development agenda recognizing the key role of prevention; multiple mentions of the impact of NCDs on development; and acknowledgement of insufficient resources.
“Including reference to the FCTC in the Political Declaration will help lay down the terms of how governments will allocate their resources. The same is true for private organizations,” said Rob Cunningham, who was i