UN Summit in September will adopt the Post-2015 Development Agenda
The Union joins health advocates around the world in applauding the final Outcome Document of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, which provides a blueprint for achieving optimal, sustainable human development over the next 15 years. Informally agreed this week, The Agenda will be formally adopted at the UN General Assembly Summit in September – and then the focus will shift to supporting governments in using proven strategies and collaboration with scientific and civil society organisations to accelerate the delivery of the Agenda’s health-related goals by the 2030 end date.
As the result of three years of negotiation, for the first time reducing the deaths and suffering caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and related issues, including tobacco control and reducing the harmful use of alcohol, are included as global development objectives, alongside other major issues, such as poverty, education and the environment.
NCDs – including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic lung diseases, and mental and neurological disorders – are today responsible for the majority of the global disease burden, killing approximately 38 million people every year. While all countries are affected, developing countries are hit the hardest.
José Luis Castro, Executive Director of The Union, said: “We are particularly gratified to see reducing deaths from NCDs finally recognised as an integral part of securing a healthy and prosperous future for all people, everywhere. We commend the tenacity and dedication of governments and the targeted advocacy by civil society that has delivered an agenda that underlines the fundamental dependency between health and wellbeing, environmental protection, social development, and prosperity.”
The emphasis on tobacco control is critical because tobacco use is a major risk factor for many NCDs and causes 6 million deaths a year. “Tobacco control is also critical because proven strategies for reducing tobacco use, such as increasing the tax on tobacco products, simultaneously decrease the burden of tobacco-related disease and provide a revenue stream that can be directed toward public health,” said Dr Ehsan Latif, Director of The Union’s Department of Tobacco Control.
The WHO Framework Conference on Tobacco Control has been ratified by 180 countries worldwide – and full implementation and enforcement of this first international public health treaty is considered to be critical to the success of the post-2015 agenda.
Other key factors that are also covered in the new agenda will be improving food and nutrition security, preventing the harmful use of alcohol and strengthening health systems care. Building on the commitments made in the 2000 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), governments have also re-affirmed the necessity of Improving access to quality, affordable essential medicines, vaccines, and technologies.
Positive steps for global health overall
The full range of 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the outcome document includes a specific goal for health, SDG 3, which commits to “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.” Within this goal are targets covering the range of global health priorities including reducing preventable maternal and child death, ending communicable disease epidemics, reducing road traffic fatalities, addressing the harmful use of alcohol and achieving universal health coverage (UHC). Larger issues with impact on health are covered in other goals, including those on achieving gender equality, assuring sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, reducing air pollution, promoting sustainable urban development and ending hunger.
“Scientific and civil society organisations, such as The Union, are well positioned to support governments in taking action on a variety of these issues,” said Castro. “We look forward to helping to build health systems and resilient social foundations that enable all people to realise good health and wellbeing.”