Extracts below from WHO News release and a comment from me. Read in full: https://www.who.int/news/item/21-09-2022-heads-of-state-commit-to-noncom...
Heads of State commit to Noncommunicable Disease Global Compact to save 50 million lives by 2030
21 September 2022
Today, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, launched a new report [“Invisible Numbers: The true scale of noncommunicable diseases,”] calling on global leaders to take urgent action on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), responsible for 17 million premature deaths every year...
Every two seconds, someone under 70 somewhere in the world dies of an NCD...
Dr Tedros: “There are cost-effective and globally applicable NCD interventions that every country, no matter its income level, can and should be using and benefitting from – saving lives and saving money...
The public’s awareness of the links between NCDs and their risk factors such, as tobacco and alcohol consumption, unhealthy diets, and lack of physical activity, is low... [*see note below]
Urgent global efforts are needed to get back on track to reach Sustainable Development Goal targets and reduce premature deaths from NCDs.
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COMMENT (NPW): "The public’s awareness of the links between NCDs and their risk factors... is low" This point has been made repeatedly on HIFA and it is excellent to see it expressed at high level. It is usually overlooked. Collective action is needed to help ensure that every person and every health worker has access to the reliable healthcare information they need to prevent, diagnose and manage NCDs. It is tragic that millions of people are dying because they have no idea that their lifestyle is predisposing them to NCDs. Knowledge is not a panacea, but it is a prerequisite. HIFA stands ready to help address these issues if we can secure low-level sponsorship to run a series of thematic discussions.
Best wishes, Neil
Let's build a future where every person has access to reliable healthcare information and is protected from misinformation - Join HIFA: www.hifa.org
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of the HIFA global health movement (Healthcare Information For All - www.hifa.org ), a global community with more than 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting on six global forums in four languages in collaboration with WHO. HIFA brings stakeholders together to accelerate progress towards universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK based non-profit in official relations with the World Health Organization.
Twitter: @hifa_org neil@hifa.org
