Role of the UN agencies in the Prevention and control of NCDs Dr Jacob Kumaresan Executive Director WHO office at the United Nations 27 February 2013, SEA Regional Consultation on NCDs
New perspectives NCDs is a development issue Globalization Urbanization Population ageing Poverty Populations in low- and middle-income countries Increased exposure to common modifiable risk factors Loss of household income NCDs Limited access to effective and equitable health-care services Poverty at household level More than 8 million people die before the age of 60 in developing countries from noncommunicable diseases
2011 UN General Assembly High-level Meeting on NCDs
The UN High-level Meeting on NCDs in numbers (New York, 19-20 September 2011) 113 Member States 34 Presidents and Prime-Ministers 3 Vice-Presidents and Deputy Prime-Ministers 51 Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Health 100s of civil society 11 Heads of UN Agencies 1000+ news articles 1 full spread in the Washington Post 100s articles in US Foreign Affairs, Economist, Financial Times, Guardian, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, national media 10s headlines on BBC News, CNN, Fox News, ABC News, CBS News, PBS News hour
The Political Declaration on NCDs NCDs as priority within the development agenda Whole-of-government approach to implement the Global Strategy and its Action Plan Lead role of WHO in coordinating global action Specific actions for Member States and UN Agencies (resolution A/RES/66/2) UN Secretary-General
WHO and UN Agencies Engage with relevant stakeholders in articulating policy options for multisectoral action through effective partnership Provide technical assistance and capacity-building to developing countries to support national efforts President of Switzerland of Hungary
UN Interagency meetings on NCDs 1. New York - December 2011 2. New York - June 2012 3. Geneva - October 2012 4. Vienna - November 2012
Progress Agencies undertake activities supporting national efforts on NCDs UNCTs integrate NCDs into UNDAF processes Letter from WHO/UNDP to UN Resident coordinators - March 2012 Joint programmes at global level President of Brazil
Joint initiatives UNDP/WHO: National AIDS Commissions to address harmful use of alcohol through HIV programmmes UNAIDS/WHO: Advocacy and technical cooperation to address disease burden of HIV and NCDs IAEA/WHO: Promote comprehensive cancer control on both prevention and treatment with radiation medicines ITU/WHO: Utilize mobile telephones for healthy choices and warning against tobacco (mhealth programme)
UN NCD Inter agency Task Force WHO as Secretariat Objective: support national efforts to address NCDs Workplan with accountability reporting Dedicated website 3 4 meetings in 2013 hosted by agencies
Integrated UN framework
Overall consultation process Country consultations (100) Objectives Influence the intergovernmental process by amplifying the voices of local communities Output Clear recommendations for governments Coordination at country level UN Resident Coordinators provide overall strategic guidance Ministries of Planning are likely to lead Ministries of Health may be involved
11 global thematic consultations, including one on health Lead UN Agencies Events Government leads Growth and employment ILO, UNCTAD, UNDP Tokyo, 15-16 May 2012 Japan Inequalities UNICEF, UNWOMEN Global consultation in Feb/March 2013 (Denmark) Education UNESCO, UNICEF Global consultation in Feb/March 2013 (?Senegal) Environmental sustainability UNDP, UNEP, Leadership meeting February 2013 (tbc) Denmark Canada Food security and nutrition FAO, WFP TBD Spain, Colombia Governance UNDP, OHCHR Global consultation in Jan/Feb 2013 (South Africa) Conflict and fragility Population dynamics UNDP, PBSO, ISDR and UNICEF UNDESA, IOM, UNFPA and UN-HABITAT Global consultation in Helsinki February 2013 Health WHO, UNICEF High level meeting Mar 2013 (Botswana) Water Energy UNWATER, UNICEF, UNDESA TBD TBD TBD Germany, South Africa Finland Switzerland Sweden and Botswana
Health Thematic Consultation Task Team WHO, UNICEF, Governments of Sweden and Botswana Small secretariat at WHO Sponsoring Governments Sweden and Botswana UN Interagency Team WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNAIDS, OHCHR, UN DESA and UNDP
Main components of the health thematic consultation Web consultation main process, October to December 2012 106 papers submitted by civil society, academics, international agencies, development agencies, etc. Face to face consultations Academic consultation Beijing, Oct 2012 Civil society consultation 6 regional consultations Private sector consultation Amsterdam, Nov 2012, and USA, Dec 2012 Member state consultations Geneva and New York: Sep, Nov, Dec 2012, Jan 2013 High Level Dialogue Botswana, Mar 2013 Representatives main constituencies: government, civil society, UN, academia, Chairs of the WHO Regional Committees H8 leaders Members of High Level Panel of Eminent Persons
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