World Health Assembly adopts resolutions on NCDs and child injury

A report from the UN Daily News about resolutions adopted by the 64th World Health Assembly on non-communicable diseases and child injury.

UN HEALTH ASSEMBLY ADOPTS RESOLUTIONS ON CHILD INJURY AND NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

Delegates at a United Nations health gathering today adopted resolutions on preventing child injury and preparing for the forthcoming General Assembly high-level conference on non-communicable diseases.

The resolution on child injury prevention adopted by the ongoing 64th World Health Assembly (WHA) of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) creates a platform designed to prevent injuries, which are the leading cause of death for children over the age of five. The resolution has to be adopted in the WHA plenary.

Delegates to the WHA said child injuries represented a major child survival issue that required more attention and resources. More than 830,000 children die each year from road traffic crashes, drowning, burns, falls and poisoning.

Countries also unanimously endorsed the resolution on preparations for the General Assembly’s high-level meeting on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which will be held in September.

Non-communicable diseases, primarily heart and lung diseases, cancers and diabetes, have become leading causes of death, according to the WHO global status report on NCDs. In 2008, 36.1 million people died from conditions such diseases, including 9 million who died prematurely before the age of 60. Some 8 million of those premature deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries.

Millions of deaths can be prevented by stronger implementation of measures that exist today, Ala Alwan, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for NCDs and Mental Health, told a news conference in Geneva. The measures include policies that promote government-wide action against NCDs; stronger anti-tobacco controls and promoting healthier diets, physical activity, and reducing harmful use of alcohol; and improving people’s access to essential health care.

The resolution recognized WHO’s leading role as the primary specialized agency for health and reaffirmed its leadership in promoting global action against NCDs.

The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of WHO and brings together delegations from all WHO Member States to determine the policies of the Organization and its approve proposed programme budget.

UN report: high cholesterol no longer an affliction of developed countries

No longer a “rich-country” affliction, high cholesterol is now hitting people in middle-income countries in big numbers — but a majority worldwide remains untreated, according to the largest study of the issue ever conducted.  (source: Vancouver Sun)

This study, published in the Bulletin – the international public health journal of the World Health Organization – is the first to show the extent of the treatment gap for high cholesterol – a common risk factor for early cardiovascular deaths. In Thailand, for example, 78% of adults surveyed had not been diagnosed, while in Japan, 53% of adults were diagnosed but remained untreated.

Cardiovascular diseases are the world’s biggest killers, claiming more than 17 million lives each year worldwide.

“Cholesterol-lowering medication is widely available, highly effective and can play an essential role in reducing cardiovascular disease around the world,” said study co-author, Dr Gregory A Roth, from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in the United States of America. “Despite these facts, effective medication coverage for control of high cholesterol remains disappointingly low.”

Modern lifestyles increasing risk of NCDs

Modern lifestyles and demographic changes are increasing the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs): cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes.  Each year they account for 60% of all deaths or some 35 million people. (Source:  World Health Organization)

The four most prominent NCDs – cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung diseases – were recognized as the key health priority in the WHO European Region at a recent WHO European Region meeting.  NCDs account for 77% of the disease burden and 86% of all deaths in the 53 countries in the WHO European Region.

The WHO notes that in addition to their impact on public health, NCDs constitute an economic burden, with health care costs, lost working time, and early death and disability threatening economic growth and productivity.

CDC estimates 1 in 3 adults could have diabetes by 2050

As many as 1 in 3 U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050 if current trends continue, according to a new analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

One in 10 U.S. adults has diabetes now. The prevalence is expected to rise sharply over the next 40 years due to an aging population more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, increases in minority groups that are at high risk for type 2 diabetes, and people with diabetes living longer, according to CDC projections published in the journal Population Health Metrics.

Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in 2007, and is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults under age 75, kidney failure, and non-accident/injury leg and foot amputations among adults. People with diagnosed diabetes have medical costs that are more than twice that of those without the disease. The total costs of diabetes are an estimated $174 billion annually, including $116 billion in direct medical costs.

Proper diet and physical activity can reduce the risk of diabetes and help to control the condition in people with diabetes. Effective prevention programs directed at groups at high risk of type 2 diabetes can considerably reduce future increases in diabetes prevalence, but will not eliminate them, the report says.

The projection that one-third of all U.S. adults will have diabetes by 2050 assumes that recent increases in new cases of diabetes will continue and people with diabetes will also live longer, which adds to the total number of people with the disease.

An estimated 285 million people worldwide had diabetes in 2010, according to the International Diabetes Federation. The federation predicts as many as 438 million will have diabetes by 2030.

Burden of NCDs in India – estimated USD 237 billion in lost national income (2006-15)

The Cameron Institute – a not-for-profit, public policy think tank — recently released an analysis of the economic impact of non-communicable diseases in India.

As of 2005, India experienced the “highest loss in potentially productive years of life” worldwide, according to an article published in The Lancet.The projected cumulative loss of national income for India due to non-communicable disease mortality for 2006-2015 will be USD237 billion. By 2030, this productivity loss was expected to double to 17.9 million years lost – almost 1,000% greater than the corresponding loss in the United States, which has a population a third the size of India’s.

Download and read the entire report.

Canada launches one of world’s largest health studies to gain insight into disease prevention and management

The largest population-based health study ever conducted in North America was launched this past month in an effort to help better understand the causes, prevention and treatment of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, asthma, and diabetes.

The Ontario Health Study (OHS) will be the biggest community-based health study ever done in Ontario and is also part of the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project, made up of five regional health studies across the country.

Medical researchers at universities, research institutes and hospitals across Ontario are conducting this study. The governments of Ontario and Canada are funding the Study.

The Study began with an initial phase in which more than 8,000 adults living in three communities in Ontario took part. The main phase of the Study has begun, and is now open to all residents of Ontario who are at least 18 years old.

Altogether, aggregate data from hundreds of thousands of Canadians over time will help build one of the world’s largest profiles of risk factors for diseases.

Source:  World Health Advocacy.

63rd WHA – update on discussions

The sixty-third World Health Assembly is coming to a close later today.  Some of the key issues raised at this year’s meeting included progress towards the Millenium Development Goals, counterfeit medicines, prevention of non-communicable diseases and the Global Strategy on public health, innovation and intellectual property.  The following is a brief overview from these discussions.

Millenium Development Goals (MDGs)

Experts from WHO, member countries and the Global Fund provided a progress update on the health-related MDGs and highlighted key challenges remaining.

Noting the impact of the financial crisis on health, participants emphasized the importance of sustaining investments in health.

Speakers highlighted the need for better coordination of funding mechanisms, global financing aligning with local priorities and national health plans, and mutual accountability for both the donors and the receiving governments.

Participants called for renewed action to achieve the health-MDGs.

Prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs)

NCDs cause 60% of all deaths worldwide, with 80% occurring in low and middle-income countries.

Noncommunicable diseases – mainly cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes – kill nearly 35 million people per year. Almost 90% of fatalities before the age of 60 occur in developing countries and are largely preventable.

Highlighted the changing health profiles of countries and the need to focus attention on the emerging priority of NCDs and their burden on the population and health care spending.

Counterfeit Medicines

The proliferation of potentially lethal or harmful counterfeit medicines has been on the rise, particularly with the increased usage of the Internet worldwide.

WHO will not drop use of the term ‘counterfeit’ to describe fake medicines despite generic producing nations complaints about possible confusion over the term.

“With substandard medicines, drug regulatory authorities know who to go to when a quality problem is discovered,” said Hans Hogerzeil, the director of the WHO programme on Medicines Policy and Standards. “But with counterfeit, false or fake medicines the identity of the producer is not known, and they easily cross national borders, so normal regulatory approaches cannot be used.”

“Every honest industry is interested in stopping this,” said Hogerzeil, as is every government because counterfeiting harms both patients and the legitimacy of the health system.”

Public health, innovation and intellectual property

Delegates discussed a global strategy and plans of action for public health, innovation and intellectual property. The debate focused on financing issues, including the rational use of funds, and conducting research through regional networks.

The item will be taken up for discussion later in the week.

Global eradication of measles

Approximately 20 delegates took the floor and endorsed targets set for 2015 as milestones towards the eventual global eradication of measles.

Success in achieving the measles 2015 targets is essential if the MDG 4 – reduce child mortality – is to be reached.

Food Safety

Many countries noted that diseases can be caused by unsafe food, that national food production systems are susceptible food safety problems and that more food is traded across borders then ever before.

WHO was encouraged to continue working directly with Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) to strengthen public health, support economic development, and continue joint risk assessments through WHO/FAO expert bodies, and establish standards through the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission.