Noncommunicable diseases are imposing significant costs on emerging economies. An 18-country forum hosted in Moscow by the WHO Secretariat of the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Non-communicable diseases (UNIATF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) examined the results of the NCD investment cases undertaken to date.
Holding the forum in Moscow made sense as 11 of the investment cases were done through funds provided by the Russian Federation. Results from these 11 studies that have been conducted over the last year show that NCDs are costing the economies a staggering 4.4 percent of GDP on average every year. More than three-quarters of those losses come from losses to economic productivity as workers are getting sick and dying. Less than a quarter of the costs are from the actual costs of healthcare.
The forum brought together representatives from ministries of health and finance from countries that have previously developed an NCD investment case as well as some countries that plan to do them in the future. The following countries were represented: Armenia, Barbados, Belarus, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Peru, Philippines, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam and Zambia. The discussions were supported by WHO and UNDP staff, as well as by independent experts from around the world.
The meeting provided a unique opportunity to exchange experiences, challenges and future ways forward.
Participants shared their experience in using NCD investment cases to strengthen multisectoral action and governance on NCDs, including stronger national frameworks and strategies to tackle NCDs, as well as raising awareness across government and society on the importance of an effective response to NCDs.
Participants also discussed existing challenges in developing and using the NCD investment cases. Multiple sectors need to be involved in responding to the results of the studies. Several countries present at the forum noted the utility of the modelling provided by the investment cases in their negotiations for resources with finance ministries. Several countries were also able to use the data to improve legislation (e.g. enhanced tobacco control legislation, introduction of tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, etc.).
The importance of effective communication of NCD risk factors to the public was also extensively discussed. NCDs are closely linked to socio-economic factors and more work needs to be done on delivering the right messages through the right channels in countries to encourage healthy behaviour. Ministries of education are important in this process. Cooperation with ministries of trade, industry, agriculture and communications was also identified as crucial.
Participants also highlighted that investing in NCDs prevention is not only about restoring productivity, but also about quality of life and the right to health.
Thanks to the continuing support of the Russian Federation, the WHO/UNDP programme on NCD governance will initiate a second phase in early 2020. The second phase will expand the work into additional countries and incorporate mental health investment cases and support to governments to drive forward the recommendations of the investment cases done to date, through implementation of necessary regulatory, legislative and fiscal measures.