With the 77th United Nations (UN) General Assembly taking place in New York from Sept. 13-27, the ACC joined with other global health care, industry and policy leaders on Sept. 20 as part of a sideline event looking at the latest data and trends tied to efforts to reduce the catastrophic impacts of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) on countries around the world.

ACC President Edward T. A. Fry, MD, FACC, moderated a meeting that included representatives from the NCD Alliance, World Health Organization (WHO), World Obesity Federation, Viatris, Kenya Ministry of Health, the University of Washington’s Hans Rosling Center for Population Health and others. Panelists discussed progress towards, as well as barriers to, the UN Political Declaration on universal health care (UHC) that targets having UHC for all people by 2030 along with significant reductions in health-related expenses and related economic impacts.

Innovation and digital health were also important topics, with discussion focused on opportunities to provide more equitable access to care in low and middle income countries. The ACC shared its work on the digital transformation of care delivery via its Innovation Program, highlighting the need for attention to clinical workflow considerations in the adoption of technology, and offering thoughts on how such technology can be leveraged to reach underserved populations globally. 

This event is a precursor to next year’s UN High-Level Meeting, where world leaders will specifically focus on UHC and progress on NCDs. To date, the ACC has played an integral role in working with its partners, including the NCD Alliance, World Heart Federation, WHO, ACC International Chapters and others, to drive tangible progress towards achieving the global NCD targets and goals. Programs like the NCD Academy, which offers free, online education for clinicians worldwide on topics ranging from cardiovascular disease, to cancer, to mental health, are among the College’s ongoing efforts. Other programs like the Global Heart Attack Treatment Initiative and Global Quality Solutions, are helping hospitals and health systems around the world optimize care and outcomes through data collection and localized best practices.

Learn more on ACC’s Global Hub.

Clinical Topics: Cardiovascular Care Team

Keywords: Policy, Obesity, Technology, Myocardial Infarction, Data Collection, Population Health, Hospitals, Neoplasms, United Nations, World Health Organization, World Health Organization, Workflow, Vulnerable Populations, Universal Health Care, New York, Mental Health, Kenya, Health Care Sector, Education, Distance, Cardiovascular Diseases, Developing Countries, Noncommunicable Diseases, ACC International

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