Round Table IV – Advancing public–private partnerships on non-communicable diseases

Abstract

Today, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) mainly cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes represent the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, resulting in an estimated 40 million deaths per year and an economic burden estimated to reach $47 trillion by 2030. The prevalence of NCDs and risk factors vary considerably among countries, urban and rural locations, and other subpopulations. 80 percent of those deaths occur in lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) and the largest relative increase in deaths from NCDs globally in the next decade is expected to occur in Africa. In May 2013, in response to global assignments for the World Health Organization (WHO), a Global NCD Action Plan 2013-2020 was developed. Based on this plan, WHO supports member states in developing and implementing comprehensive and integrated policies and strategies for the management of NCDs. WHO also provided a menu of best buy policies and nine global NCD targets to monitor. More recently, several countries have emphasized private sector engagement and public private partnerships as part of their national plans, and private sector representatives are increasingly engaging with the United Nations system, either via meetings or through “NCD net” collaboration hosted by WHO.