The UN focuses on non-communicable diseases

The United Nations is holding its first high-level two day meeting dedicated to the four main chronic, or non-communicable, diseases or (NCDs) -- heart disease, cancer, diabetes and lung disease.

Leaders present will include U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, World Health Organisation Director-General Margaret Chan and around 35 heads of state and government.

Over the course of the gathering, which began today in New York, the participants will aim to set a new international agenda to tackle NCDs in the future.

Meanwhile,

A study released by the WHO on the eve of the conference highlighted the fact that
the worldwide NCD epidemic is expected to accelerate so that by 2030 the number of deaths from these diseases could reach 52 million a year.

Lydia O’Kane spoke to WHO Media Relations Officer, Gregory Hartl about the figures and the significance of this UN meeting.

He said, “ This is only the second time in history that the UN General Assembly has looked at a health issue…”

Mr Hartl adds that, “ this is recognition of the huge burden that non communicable diseases cause to the world.”

The meeting runs until September 20^th. Listen