Healthy Caribbean Coalition - Agencies push for inclusion of non-communicable diseases in global health agenda
MediaGlobal, February 11, 2010, By Ryan Dicovitsky
11 February 2010 [MediaGlobal]: When the international
community adopted the Millennium Development Goals in
2000, the chief health focus was on diseases that affect young
children and women.
The goals, commonly known as the MDGs, sought to eradicate poverty and halt the spread of
deadly communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria.
Despite the momentous dedication of the international
community to the MDGs, a wide array of non-communicable
diseases was completely left out of the new development
agenda.
In response to the increasing prevalence of noncommunicable
diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke,
and diabetes, international organizations are beginning to call
for changes to the global health paradigm.
The Caribbean
Community of states (CARICOM) and the World Health
Organization (WHO) have announced their intention to
introduce a United Nations General Assembly resolution that
would encourage United Nations agencies to work together to
eliminate non-communicable diseases, which are responsible
for 60 percent of all global deaths.
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