American Heart Association partners in global effort to prepare for UN non-communicable diseases summit

The American Heart Association is participating in an international effort to prepare for a United Nations (UN) high-level summit next year on non-communicable diseases (NCDs). These diseases — mainly cardiovascular illnesses including stroke, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory conditions — were estimated to cause more than 60 percent of deaths worldwide in 2005.

The heart association is a strategic member of the NCD Alliance and helps shape the global advocacy agenda through their UN Summit Partners Group, also joined by the American Diabetes Association, American Cancer Society, the cancer advocacy group Livestrong and the Framework Convention Alliance, a group of organizations promoting a public health treaty on tobacco control. The NCD Alliance was formed in 2009 and is a joint effort of the World Heart Federation, the International Diabetes Federation, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease and the Union for International Cancer Control, a collaboration aimed at reducing the skyrocketing burden of NCDs worldwide. Together these federations represent nearly 900 member associations in more than 170 countries that are fighting NCDs and raising awareness about their human and economic toll.

"The American Heart Association is deeply concerned about the increasing number of individuals suffering and dying prematurely from cardiovascular diseases, including stroke," said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. "The global quest for a world free of this burden will require a multi-faceted approach from the public and private sectors if we are to combat the dramatic rise in risk factors for heart disease and stroke in developing countries. We strongly support the efforts of the alliance and will continue to work with our strategic partners to address this international health crisis."

Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory illness account for more than 35 million deaths each year. Those diseases also share many risk factors — including tobacco use, physical inactivity and unhealthy diet — that alliance organizations can jointly target.

Last May, the United Nations General Assembly voted unanimously to support UN Resolution 64/265, which called for the summit on non-communicable diseases to be convened in New York City in September 2011. Members of the UN Summit Partners Group were invited to contribute their expertise toward a successful UN summit. The summit represents a rare opportunity to shine a global spotlight on the problem and consequences of non-communicable illnesses, and to inform the public about their prevention, early diagnosis and management. The NCD Alliance aims to maximize the summit's impact by compiling evidence about the urgency of the problem; acting as a global voice for member organizations and individuals with non-communicable illness; creating a roadmap for fighting the diseases, as well as means to share ideas and best practices; and working with governments, businesses and nongovernmental organizations to promote their common goals.