WRO has proudly signed onto the joint advocacy call “Ensuring the Primacy of the Right to Health, Prevention, and Conflict-of-Interest Safeguards,” ahead of the 4th United Nations High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), to be held at UN Headquarters in New York this September.
Non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic respiratory conditions are responsible for nearly 75% of deaths worldwide. Yet, the majority of these illnesses are preventable. Experts estimate that 80% of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and 40% of cancers, could be avoided through effective prevention and healthier environments. Despite past commitments, progress has been slow—leaving millions of people vulnerable and straining health systems already under pressure from climate change, conflict, and socio-economic instability.
This advocacy paper, endorsed by over 340 NGOs, experts, and organizations accredited to the UN, urges global governments to:
-
Place the right to health and prevention at the heart of all policies, ensuring access to safe food, clean water, and essential services.
-
Adopt conflict-of-interest safeguards and greater transparency in global health decision-making.
-
Require clear consumer warning labels on harmful products such as tobacco, alcohol, fossil fuels, and unhealthy foods.
-
Restore international solidarity by increasing development assistance and debt relief.
-
Provide sustained support for independent civil society monitoring to hold governments accountable for progress on NCDs.
