U.N. Summit Planned on Noncommunicable Diseases
Baku, November 3 (AZERTAC). Preparations are already underway for a U.N. summit in September of next year on preventing and controlling noncommunicable diseases, such as cancer, heart and lung disease, diabetes and stroke, according to VOA.
Noncommunicable diseases - or NCDs - claim about 35 million lives every year. The diseases account for 60 percent of deaths in all age groups.
The good news is many of those deaths can be prevented. A Global Action Plan has already been drawn up and approved. But now resources and political will are needed to fully implement it. That`s where the U.N. high-level meeting comes in.
Dr. Ala Alwan, World Health Organization`s Assistant Director-General for Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, says besides the unnecessary loss of life, NCDs have broader effects as well.
“This has a negative impact on productivity. It has a negative impact on social economic development. There are also other reasons. They reduce family income because of illness, because of the disability they cause. They also reduce family income because of the increasing health care costs,” he says.
It`s what`s called “catastrophic expenditure” - health care costs so high that families are driven below the poverty line.
Many health-related NGOs are also involved in planning next year`s U.N. summit.
Although the high-level U.N. summit won`t be held until next September, member states must soon submit a resolution to the General Assembly on the scope and goals of the summit.
