A side event, organized by the WHO and UNAIDS, in collaboration with Member States, on HIV and NCD entitled, "Achieving health equity: Uniting around a common agenda to address NCD and HIV was held on 20 September 2011 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. It drew the attention to chronic diseases such as Diabetes, Cardiovascular disease, Cancers, and Chronic respiratory disease—now the leading causes of death around the world and the number one silent killer.
NCD are a global crisis and require global response. Urgent global response is vital because, they cause 60% of all global deaths with four out of five of these deaths in low- and middle-income countries in their most productive years. Fourteen (14) million of the 35 million NCD deaths each year could be prevented or delayed. Each year, 8 million die prematurely (below the age of 60).
People die of NCDs due to four main risk factors: tobacco use, unhealthy diets, alcohol consumption and physical inactivity. Lack of access to affordable medicines and health care services are also major causes of these premature deaths. Citizens around the globe are united around this cause; to tackle this epidemic at home and to help those in the developing world to reverse this epidemic.
This afternoon, I would like to bring to your attention four serious concerns.
Concern ONE…We are at stake of losing the momentum we gained in our collective efforts to contain and reverse the spread and impact of HIV in the world. Access to health care is a basic human right for all, including people living with HIV. I bring with me today my own personal experience, and that of my patients and peers. Today, many of us living with HIV have access to antiretroviral, which has transformed HIV into a chronic manageable disease. Yet, we are constantly at risk of Non Communicable Diseases. Every day at my clinic, we see around 100 patients with HIV... a significant number of whom have NCD. This is not different from the health risks of my peers from other regions. Understanding the factors that contribute to these higher risks can help inform the next steps towards developing strategies for NCD prevention and treatment among people living with HIV. Most of these diseases can be easily managed if adequate prevention, testing and treatment are made available to all, especially for hard-to-reach and vulnerable communities…..through a collective global commitment to PROTECT, PROMOTE and PRESERVE LIFE in fullness. This is Right to Health.
Concern two: Increasingly rapid development of bilateral free trade agreements, puts profit before people’s right to health. These threats… to our fundamental right to treatment and health, are undermining universal access to affordable medicines for chronic diseases for the millions in need of essential life-saving medications. We urge our world leaders to take the necessary steps to implement the flexibilities of the TRIPS Agreement, reaffirmed by the historic 2001 WTO DOHA Declaration to protect public health and promote access to medicines for all. In particular, it is essential that the TRIPS flexibilities retained in the DOHA Declaration are preserved for medicines for NCD.
CONCERN THREE: The NCD declaration by the Heads of States, which brings us today here, is a ground-breaking step forward and I salute all those who have taken the lead. However, as has been raised in this Summit….there is serious concern, in this NCD HLM Outcome document, around the lack of targets, lack of financial Commitment and Unclear commitment on the Continuum of Care. Civil society groups all over the world have been actively raising the same concern. The document recognizes the problem, but does not offer a solution. There is no clear goal or set targets. It will be a shame, to see this moment of opportunity pass-by, if we do not act collectively to commit ourselves to clear, bold and strategic targets. Our message is loud and clear.
CONCERN FOUR: I affirm once again the involvement of affected communities with focus on the community based approach, which was so critical in the breakthrough with HIV globally. Likewise, community involvement is key to an effective response in the NCD deliberations. When people whose lives are most affected by these diseases are involved in the response process as equal partners, and communities’ experiences and perspectives are recognized and taken as valuable lessons and inputs, then there is a far greater opportunity to make real change and lasting impact in the lives of millions of people for whom these policies and programs are being developed. We have seen this approach work in HIV, TB and Malaria and we can integrate these same principles in addressing NCD. Integration will not only be cost effective, but will ensure maximum coverage as well as promote collective responsibility and shared ownership… after all the primary objective is to save life and promote health.
CONCLUSION I conclude with the words of Martin Luther King who said, “An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”. So let us prevent duplication and disregard of vital issues for the benefit of all human kind. Thank you for your attention.
For further information, you can contact
Dr.Tokugha Yepthomi
Senior Medical Officer
YRG CARE .Voluntary Health Service
Taramani Chennai. ..600113.
Phone..044 39106815.
toku@yrgcare.org.
(The above is the full text of Dr. Tokugha Yepthomi's speech at the first-ever United Nations High-level meeting on Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) General Assembly Special Session, held at New York, 19-20 September 2011).
NCD are a global crisis and require global response. Urgent global response is vital because, they cause 60% of all global deaths with four out of five of these deaths in low- and middle-income countries in their most productive years. Fourteen (14) million of the 35 million NCD deaths each year could be prevented or delayed. Each year, 8 million die prematurely (below the age of 60).
People die of NCDs due to four main risk factors: tobacco use, unhealthy diets, alcohol consumption and physical inactivity. Lack of access to affordable medicines and health care services are also major causes of these premature deaths. Citizens around the globe are united around this cause; to tackle this epidemic at home and to help those in the developing world to reverse this epidemic.
This afternoon, I would like to bring to your attention four serious concerns.
Concern ONE…We are at stake of losing the momentum we gained in our collective efforts to contain and reverse the spread and impact of HIV in the world. Access to health care is a basic human right for all, including people living with HIV. I bring with me today my own personal experience, and that of my patients and peers. Today, many of us living with HIV have access to antiretroviral, which has transformed HIV into a chronic manageable disease. Yet, we are constantly at risk of Non Communicable Diseases. Every day at my clinic, we see around 100 patients with HIV... a significant number of whom have NCD. This is not different from the health risks of my peers from other regions. Understanding the factors that contribute to these higher risks can help inform the next steps towards developing strategies for NCD prevention and treatment among people living with HIV. Most of these diseases can be easily managed if adequate prevention, testing and treatment are made available to all, especially for hard-to-reach and vulnerable communities…..through a collective global commitment to PROTECT, PROMOTE and PRESERVE LIFE in fullness. This is Right to Health.
Concern two: Increasingly rapid development of bilateral free trade agreements, puts profit before people’s right to health. These threats… to our fundamental right to treatment and health, are undermining universal access to affordable medicines for chronic diseases for the millions in need of essential life-saving medications. We urge our world leaders to take the necessary steps to implement the flexibilities of the TRIPS Agreement, reaffirmed by the historic 2001 WTO DOHA Declaration to protect public health and promote access to medicines for all. In particular, it is essential that the TRIPS flexibilities retained in the DOHA Declaration are preserved for medicines for NCD.
CONCERN THREE: The NCD declaration by the Heads of States, which brings us today here, is a ground-breaking step forward and I salute all those who have taken the lead. However, as has been raised in this Summit….there is serious concern, in this NCD HLM Outcome document, around the lack of targets, lack of financial Commitment and Unclear commitment on the Continuum of Care. Civil society groups all over the world have been actively raising the same concern. The document recognizes the problem, but does not offer a solution. There is no clear goal or set targets. It will be a shame, to see this moment of opportunity pass-by, if we do not act collectively to commit ourselves to clear, bold and strategic targets. Our message is loud and clear.
CONCERN FOUR: I affirm once again the involvement of affected communities with focus on the community based approach, which was so critical in the breakthrough with HIV globally. Likewise, community involvement is key to an effective response in the NCD deliberations. When people whose lives are most affected by these diseases are involved in the response process as equal partners, and communities’ experiences and perspectives are recognized and taken as valuable lessons and inputs, then there is a far greater opportunity to make real change and lasting impact in the lives of millions of people for whom these policies and programs are being developed. We have seen this approach work in HIV, TB and Malaria and we can integrate these same principles in addressing NCD. Integration will not only be cost effective, but will ensure maximum coverage as well as promote collective responsibility and shared ownership… after all the primary objective is to save life and promote health.
CONCLUSION I conclude with the words of Martin Luther King who said, “An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”. So let us prevent duplication and disregard of vital issues for the benefit of all human kind. Thank you for your attention.
For further information, you can contact
Dr.Tokugha Yepthomi
Senior Medical Officer
YRG CARE .Voluntary Health Service
Taramani Chennai. ..600113.
Phone..044 39106815.
toku@yrgcare.org.
(The above is the full text of Dr. Tokugha Yepthomi's speech at the first-ever United Nations High-level meeting on Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) General Assembly Special Session, held at New York, 19-20 September 2011).
