Creating a 21st Century Global Health Agenda

Abstract

On May 13, 2010, the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) voted unanimously for UN Resolution 64/265 to hold a High Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases in September 2011. This UN High Level Meeting, to be held in New York, is an unparalleled opportunity to put noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including cancer, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and chronic respiratory disease, on the global health and development agenda. It also has the potential to secure political commitments from heads of government for a coordinated global response to NCDs, to promote multisectoral action to addressing NCDs within countries, and to ensure that resource allocations for addressing NCDs are more commensurate with their contribution to the global disease burden. Such actions will provide the urgent and necessary momentum to dramatically improve the prevention and management of NCDs for future generations. Our 3 organizations, as well as other partners, are working together to maximize the impact of this meeting. The world can no longer afford to ignore the ever-expanding global social and economic threat posed by chronic diseases. NCDs account for >60% of all deaths globally, and the overall burden of chronic diseases continues to grow.1 By 2030, it is estimated that NCDs will be responsible for 7 in 10 deaths worldwide.2 In addition to the human toll, the economic impact of chronic disease is staggering and will continue to rise. The World Health Organization estimates that the cumulative estimated national income losses attributable to chronic disease from 2005 to 2015 could exceed $1 trillion in just 3 countries: China ($558 billion), Russia ($303 billion), and India ($237 billion).1 Moreover, the chronic disease mortality burden is heaviest in less affluent nations. Of the world's roughly 35 million annual deaths attributable to NCDs, ≈80% occur in low- and middle-income countries.3 …