Members of civil society are concerned that the latest draft political declaration on noncommunicable diseases, or NCDs, for the upcoming U.N. high-level meeting on the subject has become significantly less ambitious, with some specific targets and actions to address chronic diseases weakened or removed altogether.
NCDs are big drivers of death and disease globally. They are responsible for 74% of all deaths worldwide, with more than three-quarters of those occurring in low- and middle-income countries, according to the World Health Organization. Advocates are hoping the upcoming 4th high-level meeting on NCDs in September will help strengthen government action to prevent and control them, while also showing multilateralism still works amid a turbulent moment in global health.
But there’s been a weakening of language, for example, when it comes to health taxes.
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.
