73rd World Health Assembly - GCCH NCD Statement

12 Nov 2020

Statement delivered on behalf of the Global Coalition for Circulatory Health at the Seventy-third World Health Assembly (9-14 November 2020)

In May 2020, the reduced 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA73) was hosted in a virtual format for the first time ever. The remaining WHA73 agenda items were discussed at the resumed session from 9-14 November, which was also held virtually.

The resumed session was opened by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. In his welcoming speech, he mentioned that there have been progress on noncommunicable disease as more than 3 million people in 18 countries are now receiving treatment for hypertension as a result of implementing WHO’s HEARTS package of interventions for cardiovascular disease. Dr. Tedros also addressed the recent optimistic announcements around a potential vaccine for COVID-19, warning that such a treatment was welcome but fundamentally “cannot address the global under-investment in essential public health functions and resilient health systems… there is no vaccine for poverty, hunger, climate change or inequality. »

Member States endorsed a resolution calling for scaled-up and integrated action on epilepsy and other neurological disorders and asked that a global action plan be developed for consideration at the 75th Session of the World Health Assembly.

WSO together with our partners in the Global Coalition for Circulatory Health submitted an official statement linked to agenda item 11.2.

See below the full statement.

Honorable chair, distinguished delegates,

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to item 11.2.

Given the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people living with NCDs and circulatory conditions such as kidney disease, diabetes, CVD, and stroke, the International Society of Nephrology, and our colleagues in the Global Coalition for Circulatory Health reiterate our support for Political Declaration (A73/5) on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases.

We urge you to recognize the impact of COVID-19 on such patients, many of whom face interruption to, or the unavailability of, life-saving treatments such as dialysis and transplantation.

As such, we call upon Member States and the WHO to:

• Recognize multi-morbidity and co-morbidity as a growing worldwide public health concern

• Prioritize their inclusion between NCDs in the design and implementation of policies aiming at the prevention, early detection and treatment of all NCDs

• Maximize common efforts to create and reinforce health systems that deliver affordable, people-centered NCD responses

Thank you.

Paul Laffin

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