Microsoft Word Report on who global Forum on ncds final 19 August 2011. doc

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Forum Report 

 

 

AUGUST 2011 

 

 

Global Noncommunicable 

Disease Network (NCDnet) 

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FOREWORD 

 

 

The decision by the United Nations General Assembly to hold a high-level meeting on 

noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in September 2011 represents a significant milestone 

and opportunity.  It was a result achieved only through the collective action of many 

different stakeholders over many years. 

 

As part of the build-up to the UN high-level meeting, the World Health Organization was 

invited to undertake regional consultations to provide an input into the preparations for the 

high-level meeting as well as the meeting itself.  By early April 2001, all six WHO regions 

had completed their consultations, and informal dialogues with NGOs and the private sector 

were undertaken in November 2010. 

 

Capitalizing on the opportunity presented by the First Global Ministerial Conference on 

Healthy Lifestyles and Noncommunicable Disease Control in Moscow on 28-29 April, the 

World Health Organization decided to convene a multi-stakeholder Forum on NCDs the 

day before, to help ensure that the perspectives of a range of important stakeholders were 

able to inform the discussions at the Ministerial Conference. 

 

The WHO Global Forum: Addressing the challenge of noncommunicable diseases was an 

important new development, building on the consultations undertaken previously and 

bringing together the full range of interested stakeholders to share and listen to each other's 

views and experiences.  I am pleased to provide this report on the WHO Global Forum, 

which I hope does justice to the richness and breadth of the discussion held on 27 April in 

Moscow.  The Report and other Forum documents are available on the WHO website.

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Finally, I wish to thank the Government of the Russian Federation for the financial and 

practical support that made the Forum possible.  WHO looks forward to continuing to work 

with all stakeholders both ahead of and beyond the UN high-level meeting in September to 

effectively address the global health challenge of NCDs. 

 

 

 

 

Dr Ala Alwan 

 Assistant 

Director-General 

 

Noncommunicable diseases and mental health 

 

World Health Organization 

 

                                                 

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http://www.who.int/nmh/events/global_forum_ncd/en/

  

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FORUM REPORT 

 

 

I.  

I

NTRODUCTION

  

 

Noncommunicable diseases are increasingly recognized as a major global health challenge 

that requires a response by all sectors of society.  The decision by the United Nations 

General Assembly to convene a high-level meeting (HLM) on noncommunicable diseases in 

September 2011, with the participation of Heads of State and Government, presents a 

unique opportunity for the full range of stakeholders to shape that response. 

 

The WHO Global Forum: Addressing the Challenge of Noncommunicable Diseases was 

convened to bring together a wide group of stakeholders to share views and experiences to 

date on the challenges and opportunities in noncommunicable disease prevention and 

control.   

 

The Forum set out to raise awareness of the September 2011 HLM on noncommunicable 

diseases, and to provide input into the preparation for the HLM as well as discussions on 

noncommunicable diseases at the sixty-fourth World Health Assembly in May 2011. 

 

In contrast to previous consultations and dialogues convened by WHO on 

noncommunicable diseases, the Forum brought together the different stakeholders in a 

format that allowed for discussion and interaction rather than a two way dialogue between 

WHO and individual stakeholder groups.  The intention was to create an opportunity for the 

different groups to listen and respond to each other to allow WHO to canvass a wider and 

richer range of views to inform its work on noncommunicable diseases. 

 

The Forum was held immediately prior to the First Global Ministerial Conference on 

Healthy Lifestyles and Noncommunicable Diseases in Moscow on 28 and 29 April 2011.  

This provided an opportunity for the outcomes of the Forum to directly inform the 

Ministerial Conference and its outcomes.  In order to provide access to the Forum for 

people unable to attend in person, the Forum plenary sessions were webcast live and can still 

be viewed online.

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Webcasts of the WHO Global Forum plenary sessions are available at: 

http://www.who.int/nmh/events/global_forum_ncd/mediacentre/en/

 

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