States Set Targets to Prevent and Treat Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Disorders -

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“No one in this room is immune to noncommunicable diseases,” declared the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, as she opened the high-level meeting on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health on Thursday, held on the sidelines of the UN’s annual General Debate.

After five months of negotiations, co-facilitated by Luxembourg and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, heads of state and government, along with health ministers, overwhelmingly endorsed the first-ever global UN political declaration on NCDs and mental health. However, due to the lack of full consensus, its formal adoption has been postponed until October.

On behalf of the Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, recalled that these diseases cause “more than 43 million deaths each year,” the vast majority in low- and middle-income countries, while mental disorders “affect over one billion people worldwide and remain the leading cause of death among adolescents.”

“NCDs and mental disorders can be prevented and treated. We have the tools. What is needed is commitment, speed, and scale,” emphasized Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Concrete and Achievable Goals

According to Dr. Tedros, the political declaration “is the strongest yet, with ambitious, measurable, and achievable targets.”

“By 2030, we aim to have 150 million fewer tobacco users, 150 million more people with controlled hypertension, and 150 million more people with access to mental health care,” stated Martine Deprez, Luxembourg’s Minister of Health and Social Security, during the high-level meeting.

“The political declaration encourages us to take action to combat the stigma surrounding mental health,” the European minister added, welcoming the special emphasis placed on mental well-being.

The declaration also includes measurable targets in several areas, including the availability of essential technologies and medicines in primary health care facilities, and the establishment of monitoring systems to track progress.

It further encourages member states to leverage technology to better prevent and treat NCDs and mental health conditions, while calling on the private sector to increase its contribution to this global effort.

Learning from the Past

The commitments outlined in the declaration are informed by the experiences and needs of people living with NCDs and mental health conditions, as well as those of vulnerable populations affected by climate change, small island developing states, and people in humanitarian crises.

They also take into account the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and address emerging global challenges by broadening the scope of NCD responses to include oral health, lung health, childhood cancers, liver and kidney diseases, and rare diseases.

The declaration further recognizes environmental risk factors, such as air pollution, polluting cooking fuels, lead exposure, and hazardous chemicals.

It also acknowledges the growing digital risks linked to social media exposure, excessive screen time, harmful content, and the dangers of misinformation and disinformation.

Other measures highlighted include the regulation of e-cigarettes and new tobacco products, restrictions on marketing unhealthy foods to children, front-of-pack food labeling, and the elimination of trans fats.

“The Time for Action Is Now”

“Words on paper must translate into sustained action and measurable impact,” said Dr. Tedros, urging all countries to invest more in prevention, as “health does not begin in clinics and hospitals — it begins at home, in schools, on the streets, and in the workplace.”

“The time for action is now. The political declaration is our roadmap — let’s implement it,” urged Luxembourg’s Health Minister, calling on her counterparts to accelerate progress in preventing and controlling NCDs, in the interest of the health and well-being of all.