PHM-Exch> Noncommunicable diseases: Let us get involved!

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: MMI Executive Secretariat <office at medicusmundi.org>


It is increasingly recognized that noncommunicable diseases are “the leading
cause of death and disability worldwide and will cause over three quarters
of all deaths in 2030”. NCDs are a result of poverty - disproportionately
affecting lower and middle income countries and the poorer segments of all
societies - but also lead families and countries into poverty. In May 2010,
the UN resolution 64/265 was passed to organize a UN Summit with focus on
the “four most prominent non-communicable diseases, namely, cardiovascular
diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes”, and the
“common risk factors of tobacco use, alcohol abuse, unhealthy diet, physical
inactivity and environmental carcinogens”. With good attendance of heads of
government and states, the Summit scheduled for September 2011 should lead
to global and country commitments for a coordinated and multi-sectoral
response and measurable targets.



The NCD Alliance is pushing for an action-oriented outcome statement that
includes the following key points:



•          Governments to be accountable and measured on NCD plans

•          Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to be fully
implemented

•          A global commitment to prevention of NCDs

•          Globally agreed-upon approaches to NCD treatment and care

•          Resources to deliver NCD interventions

•          A commitment to include NCDs in the MDG successor goals

•          No separate financing mechanism, but a full integration of NCDs
into health promotion, prevention, and service delivery, as well as
inclusion of NCD concerns into relevant sectors of society



Key events leading up to the UN Summit are mainly the WHO EB meeting in
January, the regional WHO meetings in February, a Ministerial Conference on
NCDs in Moscow, in April, and the World Health Assembly in May 2011. In
addition, the President of the UN General Assembly is considering a civil
society task force or advisory committee for the Summit.



Civil society efforts to prepare for the UN Summit have been driven by the
NCD Alliance and its member organizations, providing a disease-specific
perspective. It is crucial that civil society organizations involved in
international health cooperation (“Health NGOs”) and advocating for the
right to health become fully engaged. They contribute different, but
essential experiences, such as:



•          NCDs face similar myths of “blaming the victims” that have been
addressed by NGOs working on HIV, human rights, and gender issues

•          WHO is strongly promoting addressing NCDs at the community and
primary care level. This is where our organizations can bring a wealth of
expertise

•          Many NGOs are involved in health systems strengthening efforts
and can develop or may already have innovative approaches and solutions to
integrate NCDs

•          Integration of NCDs will require a strong and competent health
workforce, an issue addressed by the Medicus Mundi International Network.



Therefore, I recommend to interested organizations



•          To share and show-case their positions and activities related to
NCD integration in primary health care and national health systems and
contribute to national and global advocacy efforts

•          To consider becoming a member of the “Common Interest Group”
(CIG) of the NCD Alliance (www.ncdalliance.org/cig) and to promote within
this group a broad, systemic approach to NCDs

•          To join country and regional alliances that are emerging in
preparation for the UN Summit and advocate for the full integration of civil
societies into country delegations to the summit, including non-disease
specific NGOs working at the community level, with hospitals, businesses,
schools, in agriculture, gender, human rights, etc.



As stated eloquently by Sir George Alleyne, former Director of PAHO, who
gave a presentation during the CIG teleconference, the UN Summit is an
occasion for governments to coalesce on an issue that concerns all, and it
is only the second time that such a meeting has placed health concerns on
the world stage. He urges us all to be bold in the demands we make from
world leaders and to avoid disease divisiveness in our efforts.

 Bettina Schwethelm, Medicus Mundi Switzerland, bsch at partnershipsinhealth.ch

Editorial in: MMI Network News, December 2010, http://bit.ly/mmidecember2010
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