Opinion: How the EU fights against threats to health in the world

The numbers speak for themselves: Noncommunicable diseases – cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases – kill more than 40 million people each year which accounts for almost three quarters of all deaths worldwide. Some 80 per cent of deaths from noncommunicable diseases occur in low- and middle-income countries – the same countries that face a heavy burden of diseases such as HIV and AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis

. In terms of health, it is also a blow for the economies of countries that aspire to economic and social development and to improve the living conditions of their populations. It is estimated that $ 47 trillion will be lost worldwide between 2011 and 2025 due to continued underinvestment in NCD prevention and control.

Today, we are fully aware that NCDs are badociated with poverty and inequality. The prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases will require a large investment, but a high return can be expected in human and economic terms.

In this context, the international community is committed to tackling the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases by adopting a specific noncommunicable disease target within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals. Target 3.4 aims to reduce premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases by one-third by 2030. The fight against noncommunicable diseases has become a major development priority.

The EU fights against NCDs

The European Union is firmly committed to playing a leading role in the global movement against this emerging threat. We support the efforts of partner countries to maximize health benefits by strengthening health systems and policies, as we do, for example, by working with governments in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Morocco or Zimbabwe with specific support of the health sector.

We are convinced that such a systemic approach is needed to combat noncommunicable diseases. It is also very close to the recent recommendations of the Independent High-Level Commission on Noncommunicable Diseases of the World Health Organization. Prevention and control require resilient and sustainable health systems with robust primary care infrastructures, established through coordinated actions in many areas: finance, trade and industry, justice, education, labor and employment, agriculture, local government and others.

Work in Progress

Work through regional and global programs. Myanmar, for example, benefits from the EU-sponsored program to strengthen and strengthen the work of public health institutes in eight low-income countries. Through dedicated internships and seminars, we help build the capacity of health staff in hospitals. This has also led to the development of a national noncommunicable disease strategy that has since been rolled out across the country. Our main goal is to fully integrate NCD services into primary health care. We believe that the participation of all actors in civil society is fundamental to achieving this goal.

In Bangladesh, the same global initiative led to the launch of a public health think tank that is a policy advocacy group. It brings together scientists, academics and civil society representatives working together to improve access to health care in hard-to-reach areas, as well as for the urban poor and those suffering from diseases. non-transmissible. A project called Share4Health is strengthening both the capacity of public health institutes and policy advocates and policy makers to promote an evidence-based policy focused on urban health and noncommunicable diseases

The importance of global alliances

At the global level, the EU brings together global, national and local partners to strengthen health systems and promote a systemic approach in the fight against noncommunicable diseases . The EU supports the WHO Universal Health Coverage Partnership – a multi-level initiative to promote policy dialogue on strategic planning and governance of health systems, develop health financing strategies and support their implementation. . The partnership has been activated in 36 partner countries in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe.

Another area of ​​work is the fight against smoking. The EU is a strong supporter of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, a successful example of an international convention in the field of public health. We have also played an active role in the United Nations Interagency Working Group on Noncommunicable Diseases, which has been shown to be effective in achieving tangible results, such as dramatically reducing the use of tobacco. in India.

Public-Private Partnerships

In accordance with the recommendations of the WHO Independent High-Level Commission on Noncommunicable Diseases and the Addis Ababa Action Program on the Financing of development, the European Commission firmly believes in the role that PPPs can play in the challenge posed by noncommunicable diseases. As official development badistance is only part of the solution, an increasing number of PPPs are currently being launched in this area. This opens up an innovative field of cooperation where the EC will have the opportunity to strengthen its engagement in this area in the future through the EU's external investment plan or other initiatives.

Showing its commitment to meeting its commitments, the EU is actively contributing to the achievement of Goal 3.4 of the SDGs. We are currently working closely with the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States and WHO on an ambitious program to strengthen the health system, in which particular attention will be paid to fight against noncommunicable diseases. The details of this program are yet to be finalized and will be made public in due course later in the year.

2018: A Decisive Year

Addressing the problem of noncommunicable diseases requires strong leadership in areas other than the health sector alone. The root causes of noncommunicable diseases are related to other sectors such as agriculture and nutrition; infrastructure and cities; and environment and climate change. Prevention and control strategies for NCDs must therefore be multi-sectoral in nature. This calls for a new approach on our part: development professionals and leaders should adopt this intersectoral position in their respective organizations

2018 will be a pivotal year in the fight against NCDs, as the third high level meeting on noncommunicable diseases. will take place in September 2018, in New York. It is also essential to highlight the fight against noncommunicable diseases in the discussions on the post-2020 period currently taking place in Brussels and other European capitals.

Let us make the most of these opportunities to create conditions to fulfill our global promise to meet the SDG targets, including the target on noncommunicable diseases, by 2030. [19659003] For more coverage of NCDs, visit Taking the Pulse Series here