A very good afternoon to all; it is a pleasure to join you to launch this report.
Since 2014 the WHO South-East Asia Region has sought to prevent and control noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) as a Flagship Priority, and it is heartening that almost all Member States in the Region – several at the ministerial level – could take part in the December meeting and contribute to this report.
The “best buy” model will continue to be at the core of the Region’s NCD response, in recognition of the need for countries to identify and apply the most effective, feasible, affordable and cost-effective interventions, whatever their resource setting, to achieve the 25x25 targets, to fulfill the Political Declaration of the third high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of NCDs, and to accelerate towards SDG 3.4 and the “triple billion” targets.
No country can accept the social and economic burden that NCD morbidity and mortality provides, least of all low- and middle-income countries, where over 85% of the world’s premature NCD deaths occur, and where the economic impact of NCDs is most acutely felt, costing between 4% and 5% of the GDP of countries in the Region, and contributing to catastrophic health expenditure and the impoverishment it brings.
The key findings of this report are well aligned with those of an independent impact assessment that the Region carried out last year on each of its Flagship Priorities, including on the prevention and control of NCDs.
Member States in the Region have in recent years made remarkable progress in their battle against NCDs, and they continue to implement multisectoral national action plans that are context-specific and backed by unprecedented political commitment at the highest level.
I welcome the commitment of all stakeholders and at all levels of our Organization to help countries overcome implementation challenges, for example by strengthening governance structures and institutional arrangements, enhancing multisectoral policy development and planning, and establishing more effective regulation and coordination mechanisms.
Throughout the COVID-19 response, recovery and beyond, WHO will continue to support countries to leverage innovative service delivery models to detect and treat NCDs, and will continue to highlight the massive social and economic benefits that NCD best buys deliver – a point that is especially important as countries potentially reprioritize public spending.
I take the opportunity to share the Region’s strong progress on the provision of mental health services, which cuts across several Flagship Priorities, including on preventing and controlling NCDs, scaling up emergency risk management, and achieving universal health coverage.
Several of the Region’s Member States were instrumental in introducing a decision on promoting mental health preparedness and response at last week’s Executive Board meeting, which is appreciable.
Most Member States have developed mental health policies that have been integrated into national health policies.
Region-specific strategies on suicide prevention, autism spectrum disorders and the harmful use of alcohol continue to be rolled out.
I thank and commend all involved in the publication of this report and look forward to our continued collaboration to prevent and control NCDs and achieve SDG 3.4, for the health, well-being and sustainable development of all.
Thank you.