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Outcome document of the second high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on non-communicable diseases

Summary:

To take stock of the progress since the first high-level meeting on non-communicable diseases in 2011, reaffirm, and strengthen the commitments.

Description:

The resolution reaffirms the commitments made in the Political Declaration of 2011 (paras 1-6) and the other commitments undertaken by Member States to reduce NCDs (paras 18-29).

Moreover, it takes stock of the progress achieved since 2011.

  • With respect to international cooperation, it welcomes the adoption of the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases, the establishment of the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases, and other actions by the WHO (paras 7-11).
  • With respect to the progress achieved at the national level, it recognizes “an increase in the number of countries which have an operational national non-communicable disease policy with a budget for implementation, from 32 per cent of countries in 2010 to 50 per cent of countries in 2013” (para 12). However, it also recognizes that progress has been “insufficient and highly uneven” (para 13), and that commitments were often not translated into action (para 14).

In terms of future commitments, the resolution “commit[s] to addressing non-communicable diseases as a matter of priority in
national development plans, as appropriate within national contexts and the international development agenda” (para 30). The resolution includes specific actions that Member States should consider undertaking, including:

  • By 2015: Setting national NCD targets (para 30(a)(i)) and developing national multisectoral action plans (para 30(a)(ii)).
  • By 2016: Reducing risk factors and underlying social determinants (para 30(b)); reorienting health systems to address the prevention and control of NCDs as well as the underlying social determinants through people-centred primary health care and universal health coverage (para 30(c)).