Experts are hoping the high-level meeting on noncommunicable diseases this week at the 80th United Nations General Assembly will draw attention to it as an important public health issue — and lead to much-needed investments and a multisectoral response.
There is no debate that investments are needed in both preventing and treating noncommunicable diseases, which are killing over 43 million people globally each year.
Early action on NCDs helps reduce long-term health care costs and prevents overburdening health systems, but “denying treatment is not an option” for the millions already living with a chronic disease, Dr. Saia Ma’u Piukala, World Health Organization regional director for the Western Pacific, said during a Devex panel session on the sidelines of UNGA in New York.
About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
