On 9 July 2015, ECOSOC adopted a resolution entitled “United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases” (E/2015/L.14), following the consideration of WHO’s Director-General’s report transmitted by the UN Secretary-General on the progress of the work of the UN Interagency Task Force on the Prevention and control of NCDs (E/2015/53).
The Resolution encourages:
- members of the Task Force to continue to work together in a coordinated manner to support national efforts to implement the commitments included in the 2011 Political Declaration;
- agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system to scale up the delivery of actions contained in the workplan of the Task Force; and
- the Task Force to further enhance systematic support to Member States, upon request, at the national level, in efforts to support responses to prevent and control NCDs, including through the establishment of a resident thematic group or equivalent entity on NCDs by United Nations country teams or incorporating NCDs into an existing thematic group to ensure that these issues are integrated into health planning and national development plans and policies, including the design process and implementation of UNDAFs.
Following the ECOSOC session, the Task Force briefed Ambassadors, senior officials from the Member States and development partners on the work that it has done over the last year and its future plans. The Task Force highlighted joint country missions that had been undertaken in Belarus, Kenya, India, Tonga and Barbados, the development of joint global programs, and its work to support the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The Task Force was represented at the briefing by WHO, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, and the Word Bank.
Dr Nata Menabde, Executive Director of the WHO Office in New York, opened the briefing. Dr Menabde reflected on hosting a joint programming mission as the WHO representative to India, “The mission was important in encouraging the UN to come together as one in countries – through the UN Country Team. But the joint mission also highlighted to government at a high level the importance of a whole-of-government and society response to NCDs. The challenge now is to ensure that we in the UN system are sufficiently resourced to provide the sort of support that governments are expecting as a result of these missions and the recommendations that the Task Force provides in their mission reports.” said Dr. Menabde.
Ambassador Keith Marshall from the Permanent Mission of Barbados to the United Nations highlighted the achievements of his country in tacking NCDs, welcoming the recent joint mission and the recommendations. “We need to eliminate trans-fats, and reduce the consumption of salt and sugar. A comprehensive regulatory, legislative and fiscal policy is required [...] and we need technical support from UN system to do this quickly and effectively,” Ambassador Marshall said.
Douglas Webb from UNDP placed NCDs in the wider development context: “NCDs have significant negative impacts on human and social development. We are committed to ensuring that NCDs are including in UNDAFs so that UN country teams can support governments effectively. We are also determined to prioritise support to governments in the area of tobacco control, particularly supporting the WHO FCTC Secretariat on the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products”.
Nick Banatvala, Senior Adviser from WHO, described a set of global joint programmes that are being developed. “We are now developing three global joint programmes, two in the area of cancer and one in governance to provide technical support at a country level. These build on the experience of the successful WHO-ITU mHealth programme. The new programmes have been developed following demands we have heard from countries during Task Force missions. We are committed to scale up our response to NCDs. The Task Force is a prime example of the UN system working as one”.
The next meeting of the Task Force will be held later this year. In the meantime, joint programming missions will be conducted in a number of countries.