International NCD action: building on the UN HLM

This page is intended to provide updates of international meetings and actions since the UN High-level Meeting of September 2011 (click here >> for more details about the UN HLM itself).

The Political Declaration unanimously adopted at the UN HLM set in train a number of key actions for the international community (including the UN and WHO). This section of our website is focusing particularly on the achievement of paragraphs 61 (establishing a global monitoring framework, including indicators) and 62 (preparing recommendations of a set of voluntary global targets) of the Political Declaration.

• For the Political Declaration, click here >>
• For C3’s report on the UN HLM and accompanying side events, click here >>
• Further information is also available on the NCD Alliance website here >>

Below is a summary of action following on from the UN HLM (it is presented broadly chronologically, most recent first).

Consultation on ‘a comprehensive global monitoring framework and voluntary global targets for the prevention and control of NCDs’ (runs to 15 February 2012)

20 January 2012: WHO Executive Board resolution outlining process for implementing global monitoring framework, targets and partnership

This Resolution is intended to ensure that the WHO has a clear timeline for achieving the actions set out in the Political Declaration (click here >> for the Resolution).

• It will submit a progress report on developing a framework (including indicators and targets) to the WHO for consideration in May 2012;
• it will then complete the work on the global monitoring framework (including targets and indicators) by the end of 2012, including a further consultation with Member States; and then
• report on the recommendations at the next World Health Assembly in May 2013.

In addition, it will consult on options for effective partnership, and will ensure that the draft of the next Global Action Plan on NCDs (2013–20) will be ready for the Executive Board to consider in January 2013, for possible adoption at the WHA in May 2013.

19 January 2012: NCD Alliance statement to WHO

The NCD Alliance and other leading NCD NGOs issue a statement to the WHO Executive Board urging the accelerated adoption of NCD targets: click here >>

9 January 2012: Meeting at WHO to discuss the framework and targets

WHO has put significant effort into creating the proposed monitoring framework and targets, but there are concerns among NGOs such as the NGO Alliance and some member states that the targets are not comprehensive enough. However, the process is important – the Political Declaration charged the WHO to get recommendations for member state backing in 2012: to do this, realistically they have to be passed by the World Health Assembly in May 2012. However, the NGO Alliance noted that there might be an opportunity to pass some key targets this year, while also setting a clear process to do more in the near future.

21 December 2011: discussion paper released

A discussion paper (click here >>) was released in response to the Political Declaration’s call for increased NCD surveillance, outlining a global monitoring framework and recommended set of voluntary global targets:

• Part 1: Country-level surveillance – the need to include NCD monitoring in national health frameworks.
• Part 2: Global monitoring – outlines a global monitoring framework that would provide a platform for political support to integrate NCDs into national health and development agendas. It would run parallel to individual country targets to reinforce commitment for stronger and coordinated global action amongst key stakeholders. The framework should be based on a long-term global vision and include a set of targets and indicators that take into account an assessment of what is realistically possible to monitor.
• Part 3: Voluntary global targets – outlines the development of a set of voluntary global targets and indicators based on current NCD trends and an assessment of feasibility (such as measurability and availability of monitoring mechanisms). The preliminary set of targets in the discussion paper includes goals limited specifically to NCD surveillance and will be achieved by 2025. Targets include: reductions in NCD mortality and the prevalence of diabetes, tobacco smoking, per capita alcohol consumption, mean population intake of salt, hypertension, obesity; the increased prevention of strokes and heart attacks; cervical cancer screening; and the elimination of industrially produced trans-fats in food. It would be accompanied by a robust monitoring system that includes death registrations, national surveys and policy reviews.

15 December 2011: Informal dialogue with NGOs

Prior to the start of the formal consultation, an informal dialogue with NGOs was held at the WHO, attended by about 25 NGOs (mostly the federations/alliances), and there was general support for the proposed monitoring framework, although some were more critical of the proposed targets.

Meeting of UN Funds, Programmes and Agencies on the implementation of the Political Declaration of the HLM of the UN General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of NCDs (8 December 2011)

15 UN agencies took part in this meeting, which was to promote a common understanding throughout the UN system of the burden of NCDs and socioeconomic impact, to exchange information on efforts already under way or planned, to identify opportunities to strengthen national capacity to tackle NCDs, and to agree a list of recommended action, including those related to integrating NCDs into UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) processes. The agencies agreed to consider including NCDs in the UNDAF process, which is essential as UNDAFs drive giving by donors – so the lack of inclusion of NCDs in a UNDAF means that NCDs do not get funding. There was also a commitment to working with WHO on the new Global Plan for NCDs (which will run from 2013 to 2020).

• A summary report is available here >>