When health systems are faced with pandemics, disasters and climate change, people living with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are often forgotten, despite NCDs accounting for 90% of all deaths in the WHO European Region. Large-scale emergency planning and response often fail to consider cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and respiratory conditions, although these NCDs remain the most significant health threats and demand attention.
WHO/Europe acknowledges the need for new approaches to tackle health in the so-called permacrisis, and has co-organized 2 special side events at the Global High-level Technical Meeting on NCDs in Humanitarian Settings: Building Resilient Health Systems, Leaving No-one Behind. The side events on research and on innovation in health emergencies provide opportunities for countries to build back better and leapfrog towards resilient health systems in the future.
The first side event, “Research to support health system preparedness, response and recovery for NCDs in emergencies”, will take place on 28 February at 16:00–17:30 (CET). Co-organized by WHO/Europe, the Centre for Global Chronic Conditions of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and the WHO Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, it will focus on permacrisis scenarios. Discussions will focus on strategies to cover gaps and set priorities in NCD research in emergencies, and to identify existing and potential resources to advance NCD research in these contexts.
The second, “Utilizing digital health technologies and innovations to maintain NCDs management during humanitarian emergencies”, will take place on 29 February at 8:00–9:30 (CET). Co-hosted by WHO/Europe and the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, it will enable stakeholders to discuss innovative solutions and share best practices that can help save and accumulate resources, and empower people living with NCDs and health-care providers during emergencies.
The Global High-level Technical Meeting on NCDs in Humanitarian Settings will take place at UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark. The event is being hosted by the Government of Denmark, and co-organized by WHO and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.