Over the last several months, the ACC has participated in United Nations’ (UN) hearings on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

The first hearing attended by ACC Past President John Gordon Harold, MD, MACC, addressed a ‘Zero Draft’ Outcomes Document that the World Health Organization (WHO) released. The report provided a benchmark of the progress to date since the UN Summit on NCDs in 2011. It noted that the progress of reaching a 25 percent global reduction of premature deaths from NCDs by the year 2025 (25 by 25), “has been insufficient and highly uneven, [and] continued efforts are essential for achieving a world free of the avoidable burden of NCDs.” The second hearing, attended by Harold and ACC President Patrick O’Gara, MD, FACC, continued the discussions.

“Coming out of the hearings, I am optimistic that priorities will soon be set,” said O’Gara. “No issue is greater in regards to NCDs than the current under-resourcing of the global efforts.”

According to both Harold and O’Gara, the final Outcomes Document must address this issue head on with strong language regarding the inclusion of NCDs in the post-2015 development agenda with a specific reference to a dedicated NCD target or targets. They also note it should include strong monitoring mechanisms in order to be successful.

Keywords: Mortality, Premature, Health Resources, World Health Organization, United Nations, Cardiology Magazine, ACC Publications

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