Global Coordination Mechanism On The Prevention And Control Of NCDS
It has been two years since the Director-General of WHO established a Secretariat within the office of the Assistant Director-General for Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health to support the WHO Global Coordination Mechanism on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (WHO GCM/NCD). Since then, the GCM/NCD has moved rapidly to achieve impressive global progress on many fronts to address the devastating health and socioeconomic impacts of NCDs – raising awareness, disseminating knowledge and information, providing a platform to identify barriers and propose solutions, mobilizing stakeholders to accelerate the implementation of the WHO Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases 2013–2020, and helping Member States to translate global commitments into action. The GCM/NCD is part of an expanding agenda of measures to combat the rapidly emerging threat of NCDs, including the WHO Global Action Plan; the WHO Global Monitoring Framework for Noncommunicable Diseases; and development of tools and guidance by WHO, the United Nations Interagency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (UNIATF) and other partners to support formulation of national policies and strategies to counteract NCDs. The inclusion of the NCD targets in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development means that the work of the GCM/NCD will be even more important as a means of fostering partnerships in line with its mandate to “facilitate and enhance the coordination of activities, multistakeholder engagement and action across sectors at the local, national, regional and global levels”. This report highlights the achievements of the GCM/NCD over the period 2014 to 2016, thanks to the efforts of Member States, United Nations agencies, colleagues across all clusters and levels of WHO, and other stakeholders who have engaged with the GCM/NCD in helping countries to achieve the nine voluntary targets of the Global Monitoring Framework and reduce the burden of NCDs and their shared risk factors, including unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol. The interconnectedness of the Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs) reflects the new reality that the challenges facing present-day society, including NCDs, can only be combated through policy integration balancing social development, economic growth and environmental protection. Innovative solutions engaging all stakeholders, supported by whole-of-government and whole-of-society mechanisms, are essential to curb NCDs in the context of the SDGs. We can be proud of what the GCM/NCD has accomplished in a short time, and we look forward to its continued progress towards achievement of its ambitious goals. Dr Oleg Chestnov Assistant Director-General Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health World Health Organization
Dr Oleg Chestnov
Assistant Director-General Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health
World Health Organization