The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) adopted a resolution requesting the UN Secretary-General to establish a United Nations Interagency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases. The Task Force will be convened and led by the WHO and will be created by expanding the mandate of the existing United Nations Ad Hoc Interagency Task Force on Tobacco Control and the work to support the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).

The UN will define and agree on a common system-wide division of roles and responsibilities to efficiently support national country efforts to address NCDs in the coming year. It is vital that UN organizations increase their capacity to deal with NCDs, develop joint programmes with WHO, and mobilize partners including governments, NGOs and the private sector, while safeguarding public health from any potential conflict of interest.

ECDA welcomes this initiative and in particular the fact the the UN encourages the collaboration of various actors in order to tackle the burden of NCDs.

Press release available here.