The WHO Executive Board approved several new noncommunicable disease (NCD) initiatives during their 150th meeting on 24th-29th January. The political declaration of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of NCDs was unanimously approved by the Board, therefore requesting that the World Health Assembly adopt the annexes detailing the initiatives.
The proposed implementation roadmap to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by one third by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals, which includes ensuring reliable data and sharing of best practices as well as developing new NCDs and mental health strategies and a new workplan for the Global Coordination Mechanism on the prevention and control of NCDs, is therefore expected to be approved by the WHO Assembly.
In addition, the recommendations to strengthen and monitor diabetes responses and the ones on preventing and managing obesity across a lifetime were also endorsed. Several of these initiatives should highlight the role of physical activity as part of health prevention strategies.
This approval highlights that NCD prevention and mental health are a top priority for the WHO, with Dr Tedros, WHO Director-General, stating “this year, we need an avalanche of NCD action”. The 75th World Health Assembly, which will vote on these actions, will take place in May 2022.
The Political declaration of the third high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases is accessible here.