UN Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases

Over the last few days, many of the public health/food policy blogs started to discuss the UN's meetings on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD).  When one things about the top killers in the world, one might think of natural disasters, famine and/or war.  In reality 67% of global deaths are caused by NCDs; the top four killers are Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, Cancer and Chronic Respiratory Diseases. 

According to a post on Jamie Oliver's Rood Revolution website "a new WHO study of the costs of scaling up a core intervention package to prevent and treat NCDs in low- and middle-income countries has shown that it will cost $11.4 billion a year for all of these countries. This is compared with the World Economic Forum’s estimated bill of nearly $500 billion a year between now and 2025 if a ‘business as usual’ approach is taken and disease rates continue to soar."

After the two days of talks the UN unanimously adopted 13-page document about the need to fight noncommunicable diseases around the world.  While much work has been done in the medical and public health community to combat these diseases, this document is the first global attempt at decreasing NCD. 

Unfortunately this document left many food and health advocates unhappy.  One of the primary reasons is because the UN did not create any SMART goals for delegates to take back to their home countries.  Instead, the UN has asked countries to come up and submit their suggestions by the end of 2012.  Some of the strategies that came out of the meeting:

• Raising taxes on tobacco and alcohol.
• Convincing food manufacturers and consumers to cut back on salt.
• Promoting public awareness about good diet and exercise habits.
• Providing generic drugs for people with diabetes and those at risk of heart attacks and strokes.
• Screening and early treatment of precancerous lesions to prevent cervical cancer
• Rolling out hepatitis B immunization to prevent liver cancer.

Success will only occur if the large manufacturing companies begin to take an active roll in pulling the high density, nutritionally void foods from restaurants and grocery store shelves.  Real change will only occur if each country makes this a top national priority.  It is one thing to say that they want change, it is another thing to stand up to the big junk food companies and demand a change to be made. 

It will be interesting to follow the opinions and perspectives of other countries as the battle against NCDs continues.  What are some of your thoughts on the matter?  Any great ideas that you have or things you have seen out in the community?

Check out the meetings:

• Round Table 1 – High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases
• Round Table 2 – High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases 
• Round Table 2 – High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases