WHO hosted the Ninth Meeting of the United Nations Interagency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) on 9-10 November 2017 in Geneva. The meeting was attended by 26 UN agencies, programmes, funds and intergovernmental organizations.
Task Force members reviewed work in countries to scale up joint efforts by UN agencies and partners to address NCDs, which is the Task Force’s aim. This includes accelerating action on NCD-related SDGs following ECOSOC’s decision in 2016 to broaden the Task Force’s mandate.
To date, the Task Force has undertaken joint programming missions to 20 countries. The latest meeting reviewed follow up action and progress in these countries, as well as plans for future missions: a large number of countries are seeking the Task Force’s support in the coming year.
Progress reports from Task Force joint programmes and thematic groups, including on cancer, cervical cancer and mobile health, were given, as well as efforts to mobilize resources, such as the US$ 1 million recently provided by the Russian Federation to build the economic case for investing in NCDs in 11 countries.
Task Force members also agreed to: (i) increase their action on NCDs through the Health, Environment and Climate Change Coalition; (ii) agree priority actions to support implementation of the WHO Global Action Plan on Physical Activity once finalized; and (iii) set up a small group to increase support to Member States for implementing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
A group of Task Force members are planning intensified resource mobilization for country action and ensure recommendations from recent joint missions can be implemented.
The Task Force’s work to promote multisectoral action on NCDs is expected to feature prominently in preparations for, and the staging of, the 2018 third UN General Assembly High-level Meeting on NCDs.