Step-up in combat against NCDs
The Cook Islands is part of a concerted effort to step up the fight against the spread of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), signing up to a WHO Package of Essential NCD interventions (PEN) and supporting a global target to reduce the biggest cause of death in the country.
These initiatives were part of the successful outcomes of Health Minister Nandi Glassie’s participation in the 63rd Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific, which was held in Hanoi, Viet Nam, recently.
Minister Glassie says the Cook Islands has now committed to implementing the WHO PEN, and will be conducting training for health staff, this month.
The Health Minister says his five-day meeting in Hanoi was a timely opportunity for member nations to discuss measures in preventing the dramatic spread of NCDs. Glassie said he’s pleased that the Cook Islands has worked closely with WHO in developing multi-sectoral national action plans, and training health-care workers on essential services for addressing NCDs, which are responsible for four out of five deaths in the Region.
In terms of the world-wide target, the World Health Assembly decided to adopt a global target in May this year, cutting premature mortality from NCDs: 25% by 2025. Discussions at the Regional Committee Meeting on the development of global voluntary targets and indicators for NCDs will support the finalization of the set of targets and indicators at a global meeting, which will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, next month.
Health ministers and country member representatives from 37 different countries in the Western Pacific Region and United Nation organisations and non- government organisations meets once a year to review WHO’s work in the Region, and to determine future directions and actions to address health issues and challenges.
WHO supports development of healthy settings, as well as efforts to raise prices and taxes on tobacco products to deter tobacco use, a main driver of NCDs, which include cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases, cancers, and diabetes.
The Cook Islands has received funding support from WHO for its priority programmes in 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 to the amount of US$458,000 and US$432,000, respectively.
Minister Glassie says these funds have enabled us to meet MDG targets and action plans to address NCDs, nutrition and food safety programmes, maternal care, and health systems strengthening and implementing the Framework on the Convention of Tobacco Control.
Other health issues and challenges on the agenda in Viet Nam related to: violence and injury prevention; neglected tropical diseases; measles elimination; nutrition; international health regulations; progress reports on technical programmes such as tobacco control, healthy settings, health related Millennium Development Goals, health financing, malaria and artemisinin resistance, expanded programme of immunisation, and HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

Headlines : Times 290 02 March 2009
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