Healthy Caribbean Coalition - Caribbean Nations Push for Resolution to Address Non-Communicable Diseases
Europa Newswire, February 5, 2010, By Amy Lieberman.
UNITED NATIONS – Non-Communicable, or transferable, diseases, like diabetes and cancer, account
for more than 60 percent of the global deaths, 40 percent of which are premature, yet no international resolution or convention recognizes this growing trend.
The Caribbean Community Initiative on Non-Communicable Diseases, or CARICOM, is now appealing to member
nations – and soon, to the General Assembly as a whole – with a resolution that will unite nations in the fight
against non-communicable diseases, which have a direct link to not only people’s health, but also to social and
economic development.
“Non-communicable diseases are an epidemic that is increasing in all parts of the world, including developing
countries, having a negative impact on their social and economic development,” said Ala Alwan, Assistant Director
-General of the World Health Organization, at a United Nations Secretariat press briefing this afternoon. “The
major problem that many countries face is that the prevention and control is non-communicable diseases is not
integrated into the global development agenda.”
If you do not have Adobe PDF reader installed on your computer you can download the latest version from Adobe by clicking on the Adobe Logo.