IFPA attends United Nations High-level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases

September 19-20, 2011, IFPA President Lars Ettarp and Secretary Kathleen Gallant attended the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs, where world leaders and ministers of health adopted the first-ever Political Declaration on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).  Present were 34 Heads of State and 283 civil society representatives from 280 organizations – an unprecedented amount that exceeded the UN HIV/AIDS Summit in 2001.

The 65-paragraph Declaration acknowledged the global burden and threat of NCDs which “constitutes one of the major challenges for development in the twenty-first century” and includes 22 commitments that governments worldwide must now be held accountable for.  In a compelling address during the opening plenary, Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO, said “Today’s high-level meeting must be a wake-up call for Governments at the highest level—a watershed event that replaces ignorance and inertia with awareness and right actions immediately.”  Although the primary focus was on the four major groups of NCDs: cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes (the most deadly NCDs that “break the bank”), it was clear that all nation states must undertake sustainable primary health-care measures for NCDs and adopt population-wide interventions that address associated risk factors (tobacco use, alcohol abuse, physical activity and healthy diet).

Of importance to IFPA members is that among those who made statements on NCDs during the meeting were the Presidents of Slovenia and Kenya; Foreign Ministers and senior Government officials of France, Indonesia, China, United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, Estonia, United Republic of Tanzania, Finland, Ireland, Israel, Canada, Norway, Belgium, Philippines, Germany, India and Turkey also addressed the Assembly . 

In conjunction, over 40 side events were held, in which Lars and Kathleen attended many, including the full-day NCD Alliance Briefing, “From Advocacy to Action”.  During the briefing, UN staff informed the audience about UN protocols and processes and Dr. Mirta Roses, Director General of PAHO, detailed the format of the plenary and roundtable sessions.  Lars and Kathleen met many representatives from diabetes, cancer, heart, lung-disease and health/development organizations. 

Another important side event IFPA attended and relevant to future psoriasis and inflammatory disease care was sponsored by the Global Health Council – “Tackling NCDs: How can existing platforms be leveraged?”  This event examined how well-established services delivery platforms, such as those for HIV/AIDS and maternal and child health, can be adapted to increase the health system’s ability to also address the growing challenges of NCDs.  Examples of pilot programs in Kenya, Peru and S. Africa were discussed as well as how to transition infectious-disease clinics to primary-health and NCD clinics. 

During the event “From burden to “best buys” : reducing the economic impact of NCDs”, sponsored by WHO and the World Economic Forum and held in the New York Academy of Medicine, Lars had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Shanthi Mendis about including psoriasis and inflammatory diseases in future studies and programs and Kathleen was pleased to make the acquaintance of Dr. Ala Alwan and thank him for his letter of support for psoriasis and IFPA. 

In conclusion, Lars and Kathleen left New York and the UN HLM with many ideas for cooperation with WHO and UN and how to fit psoriasis into continuing and future discussions on NCDs.  We look forward to sharing some of the ideas and plans with you in 2012.