Non-communicable diseases A Commonwealth Priority
Vanessa Baugh, Adviser (Health)
Social Transformation Programmes Division, Health Section
Thursday 28 October 2010
E-mail: v.baugh@commonwealth.int
The Commonwealth
A unique family of 54 countries from every continent
2 billion people – 30% of the world’s population
Sharing values and principles:
Democracy, good governance, human rights and the rule of law, socioeconomic development, gender equality, tolerance, respect, and
peace and security.
Why are NCDs a priority in the Commonwealth?
66.5 million people in the Commonwealth live
with diabetes
(IDF, 2009)
Risk factors are rising:
e.g. The
South Pacific Island of Nauru has estimated obesity
prevalence rates of:
86% in males & 81% in females over 15yrs of age.
* Obesity defined as: BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²
(WHO, Global Info Base)
In 2010:
An estimated 25% of males in Commonwealth countries daily
smoke tobacco.
This compares to 8% of females, with trends rising in many
countries.
(Data from WHO Global Info Base of 34 from 54 Commonwealth Countries)
In 2004:
153 per 100,000 deaths in males in Sierra Leone were caused by chronic
respiratory disease.
This is in comparison to 20 per 100,000 in St Kitts and St Nevis.
Challenges
• Competing priorities
• Health system strengthening
(e.g. Skilled workforce, access to medicine)
• Cultural norms about risk factors
• Multi-sector collaboration
• Gaining and maintaining political engagement
• Funding
How has the Commonwealth been influenced
and how has it responded?
CARICOM Declaration of Port-of-Spain, 2007:
“Uniting to Stop the Epidemic of Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases”
The 2007 CARICOM Summit raised the global
profile of NCDs and acted as an important
catalyst upon which we and others have built our
efforts.
Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting, 2007
“Lifestyle Diseases:
Health Systems Approaches”
• WHO Action Plan for the Prevention and
Control of NCDs (2008-2013)
1. Raise the priority of NCDs;
2. Establish and strengthen national policies and plans
for prevention and control;
3. Promote interventions to reduce main common risk
factors for NCDs
4. Promote research for prevention and control;
5. Promote partnerships for the prevention and control;
6. Monitor NCDs and their determinants and evaluate
progress at the national, regional and global levels.
Statement on Commonwealth Action to Combat
Non-Communicable Diseases
(Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, November 2009)
“We, the Heads of Government of
the Commonwealth...
affirm our commitment to
addressing the burgeoning incidence
of non-communicable diseases, and
to increasing the ability of our
countries to respond to this
emerging health crisis”.
Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting, 2010
“When representatives of 54 governments and one third of the world’s
population take an agreed stance on any single issue,
that stance can become a strong determinant of the final outcome in a broader
international discussion”
(Mr. Kamalesh Sharma, Secretary General, Commonwealth Secretariat)
“….. the ambition for a world in which
citizens enjoy long, healthy and
disability-free lives is being destroyed by the
onslaught of the NCDs.”
(Hon. Dr. Leslie Ramsammy MP Minister of Health, Republic of Guyana)
Commonwealth Road Map
Non-Communicable Diseases
(May 2010)
1. Conducting assessments
The Secretariat would support member countries to conduct the
assessment and monitoring of the public health burden imposed by
NCDs and their determinants.
2. Development of analytical tools/ products
A Commonwealth Report and Briefing Papers
resulting from a Commonwealth-wide analysis
of the NCD situation.
3. Development of a media strategy
Plan:
• Develop key messages
• Capacity building of media within national governments
• Media workshop pre-CHMM, May 2011
4. Organise dialogues with the private sector,
civil society and other agencies
Maintain ongoing partnership with national and
international organisations
e.g. Consultative Meeting on NCDs, Nov 2010
Advocate across government sectors (education,
trade, finance, etc)
Moving forward..
Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting, 15 May 2011
“Non-communicable diseases – A Commonwealth Priority”
The objectives of the Meeting are to:
• Discuss the implementation of the Commonwealth Secretariat Road Map on
NCDs;
• Identify elements of possible contribution to the debate at the UN High-level
meeting on NCDs in September 2011;
• Offer evidence and solutions
Examples of Best Practice –
Health Ministers Update, 2011
Do you have examples you wish to share across
the Commonwealth and further afield?
UN High-Level Meeting on NCDS, September 2011
It is anticipated that messages from the
CHMM 2011 will:
• Contribute to the preparedness of countries
for the Meeting.
• Be expressed by Heads of Government at
the UN High-Level Meeting.
Jamaica to be one of two UN
Member States to co-facilitate the
Meeting
• After the Meeting..
Need to drive implementation whilst there is
political momentum
In conclusion:
 The Commonwealth comprises of a wide range of countries
with various and unique needs and challenges.
 The Commonwealth recognises that NCDs pose a credible
threat to health and development.
 NCDs are everyone’s concern; they are not only a health issue
Thank you.