WHO Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs
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| WHO Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs | |
|---|---|
| Name | WHO Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases |
| Jurisdiction | World Health Organization |
| Formed | 2013 |
| Predecessor | World Health Report |
WHO Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs
The WHO Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) is a strategic framework adopted by the World Health Assembly and promoted by the World Health Organization to reduce premature mortality from NCDs. It aligns with the United Nations General Assembly commitments on NCDs, complements the Sustainable Development Goals and interfaces with initiatives led by institutions such as the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme, and International Monetary Fund. The plan informs policy and operational activity across regions including Africa, Americas, Eastern Mediterranean Region, Europe, South-East Asia Region, and Western Pacific Region.
Background and Development
The Action Plan originated after the 2011 UN high-level meeting on NCDs and reflects negotiations among member states at the World Health Assembly and stakeholder input from entities such as the Pan American Health Organization, European Commission, African Union, and civil society organizations like Médecins Sans Frontières and the Global Fund. Development drew on epidemiological evidence from agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, and academic institutions such as Harvard University, University of Oxford, and Johns Hopkins University. Historical antecedents include global health norms established by the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and guidelines from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. Drafting processes involved consultations with philanthropic actors like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and intergovernmental forums including the G20 and the Commonwealth of Nations.
Strategic Objectives and Targets
The plan sets time-bound targets to reduce premature NCD mortality by 25% by 2025 and to achieve the SDG target of a one-third reduction by 2030, aligning with commitments from the United Nations and the Sustainable Development Goals. Strategic objectives include strengthening health system responses inspired by models from Cuba and Canada; implementing population-level interventions similar to those used in Finland and Japan; and addressing risk factors targeted by the World Health Assembly resolutions on tobacco, alcohol, unhealthy diets, and physical inactivity. It enumerates indicators compatible with monitoring frameworks developed by organizations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the United Nations Children's Fund.
Key Priority Actions and Interventions
Priority interventions encompass fiscal and regulatory measures including tobacco taxation modelled on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, restrictions comparable to the European Union directives on marketing, salt reduction strategies informed by the United Kingdom salt campaign, and trans-fat elimination akin to regulations in Denmark. Clinical interventions include essential medicines and technologies lists influenced by the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, primary care packages reflecting the Alma-Ata Declaration, and task-shifting strategies contested in debates involving World Medical Association and International Council of Nurses. Multisectoral actions draw from cross-cutting initiatives such as partnerships with the World Trade Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization, and International Labour Organization.
Implementation Framework and Governance
Governance of the Action Plan relies on World Health Organization coordination with regional offices like the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe and national ministries of health exemplified by the Ministry of Health (Brazil), National Health Service (England), and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (India). Implementation instruments include national NCD plans, financing mechanisms informed by Global Financing Facility models, and public–private engagement protocols debated in forums such as the World Economic Forum and the Global Health Security Agenda. Accountability mechanisms involve reporting to the World Health Assembly and alignment with the United Nations Economic and Social Council processes.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting
Monitoring frameworks adopt indicators from the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control reporting templates and the Global Observatory on Health Research and Development, using data sources like the Demographic and Health Surveys, Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, and civil registration and vital statistics systems promoted by the United Nations Statistics Division. Evaluation draws on methodologies from the Cochrane Collaboration and academic consortia at Imperial College London and Stanford University. Periodic progress reports are considered by the World Health Assembly and inform revisions analogous to reviews under the Paris Agreement climate process.
Regional and Country-Level Adaptation
Regional offices tailor the Action Plan to contexts in collaboration with entities such as the African Union Commission, Pan American Health Organization, and Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Country adaptation showcases diverse models: national tobacco control in Australia, multisectoral salt reduction in South Africa, diabetes programs in Mexico, and hypertension control pilots in Kenya. Donor coordination involves partners like the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and bilateral agencies including the United States Agency for International Development and United Kingdom Department for International Development.
Impact, Challenges and Criticisms
Evaluations cite reductions in smoking prevalence in jurisdictions following taxation and packaging reforms, and progress on salt reduction campaigns led by governments and civil society; these outcomes reference analyses from the World Bank and Lancet commissions. Criticisms include insufficient financing highlighted by International Monetary Fund assessments, tensions over public–private partnerships flagged by Transparency International, and debates over intellectual property and access to medicines involving World Intellectual Property Organization and Doctors Without Borders. Implementation challenges encompass health system capacity constraints observed in low-resource settings such as Haiti and Yemen, policy coherence disputes debated at the World Trade Organization, and the need for stronger surveillance akin to reforms after the 2014 West Africa Ebola epidemic.