The United Nations High Level Meeting Addresses Noncommunicable Diseases, But Where Is Hypertension?

Abstract

THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES In September 2011, the United Nations’ General Assembly will hold a high-level meeting (UN HLM) of heads of state and government and representatives of states and governments to address the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). This high-level meeting, to be held in New York City, is expected to be a watershed event in the prevention and control of NCDs. It will provide a unique opportunity to prioritize NCDs as a global health challenge of enormous proportions with significant societal, economic, and developmental implications. The UN HLM should bring much needed attention and resources to the prevention and control of NCDs, especially in lowand middle-income countries where nearly 80% of global NCD mortality occurs. Successful implementation of priority actions in the anticipated ‘‘Outcomes Document’’ could lead to a sustained global movement against preventable death, disease, and disability from NCDs, especially cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease. Accordingly, the World Health Organization (WHO) and several health professional associations have called for a strategy addressing these four NCDs and four related behavioral risk factors including tobacco use, poor diet, physical inactivity, and harmful use of alcohol. In this perspective, we praise the work that the WHO, civil society leadership, and many health professional organizations have done in bringing attention to these major NCDs and risk factors. Considering how common hypertension is, and the magnitude of associated preventable morbidity, mortality, and economic costs, we also highlight hypertension as an important chronic disorder and a major risk factor for NCDs.