In cooperation with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) holds the Western Asia Regional Ministerial Meeting on “Addressing Non-communicable Diseases and Injuries: Major Challenges to Sustainable Development in the 21st Century”, on 10-11 May 2009 in Doha. Hosted by the Government of Qatar, the meeting comes in support of the 2009 Economic and Social Council’s Annual Ministerial Review (AMR).
The event opens at 9:00 AM on Sunday 10 May, with Qatari Prime-Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al-Thani as the first speaker. UN Undersecretary-General and ESCWA Executive Secretary, Bader Omar AlDafa will also deliver an opening statement, paving the way for an introductory session on ‘Setting the stage for multi-sectoral action on public health’. The two-day meeting will then be structured around six panel discussions covering the global and regional magnitude of noncommunicable diseases and injuries, as well as the challenges, opportunities and initiatives to address these in the region.
Participants in the meeting include health ministers and policy makers from ESCWA member countries entrusted with the implementation of national development strategies. Experts, academia, UN system organizations and representatives of civil society and the private sector have also been invited.
This high-level multi-stakeholder meeting will focus on the theme of non-communicable diseases and injuries since there is increasing international awareness that cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases, as well as injuries represent a rapidly growing epidemic, accounting for over half of all deaths in the region. Workable solutions are within reach and require the active involvement of ministries beyond the health sector. Strengthening health systems to respond effectively and equitably to this challenge is critical to economic development and poverty reduction. There is clear evidence that prevention efforts addressing tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity and injuries can be excellent socio-economic investments.
The 2005 World Summit mandated the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to convene an annual substantive Ministerial Review during the Council’s High-level Segment with the objective of assessing progress made on the United Nations Development Agenda, including the Millennium Development Goals. The next Review will be held in July 2009 at the United Nations Office at Geneva on the theme: “Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to global public health”.
ESCWA is one of the five UN Regional Commissions. It is comprised of 14 member countries: Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Its objective is to support economic and social cooperation among the countries of the region and promote the development process in order to achieve regional integration.