Extracts below. Full text: https://www.who.int/news/item/26-09-2025-world-leaders-show-strong-suppo...
26 September 2025 News release
World leaders have expressed overwhelming support for the text of the first United Nations global political declaration on responding to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health in an integrated manner. The declaration, negotiated during a five-month intergovernmental process, will be considered at the 80th session of the General Assembly for final approval in October 2025...
The political declaration under consideration is titled "Equity and Integration: Transforming Lives and Livelihoods through leadership and action on noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being”.
The declaration sets global targets to be achieved by 2030, including 150 million fewer tobacco users; 150 million more people with hypertension under control; and 150 million more people with access to mental health care.
It integrates lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and responds to new global challenges, by broadening the set of NCD areas... and recognizing the evolving risk of digital harms from social media exposure, excessive screen time, harmful content, and the risks of mis- and disinformation.
It also contains a sharper regulatory focus on e-cigarettes, novel tobacco products, unhealthy food marketing to children, front-of-pack labeling, and the elimination of trans fats...
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HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org