non-communicable

Challenging the world to get serious about the battle against “junk food,” a United Nations health expert today called on all countries to urgently adopt measures that promote the availability and nutritious value of healthy foods and regulate the marketing of sugary drinks, burgers, pizzas and potato chips – foods that, ultimately, are as deadly as they are tasty.

Top United Nations officials today stressed the need for governments, the private sector and civil society to work together and more effectively to address cancers, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases, which account for nearly two thirds of global deaths each year.

Health ministers from around the world meeting under the auspices of the United Nations today adopted measures to strengthen the fight against the non-communicable diseases, including the promotion of healthy lifestyles and encouraging a multi-sectoral approach to prevention and treatment of the illnesses.

The head of the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) warned today that the “slow-motion catastrophe” of non-communicable diseases could overwhelm even the wealthiest nations if the root causes of the epidemic, mostly lifestyle decisions, are not addressed.

Health experts from around the world have convened in Moscow to tackle non-communicable diseases, which are the leading killer today and on the rise, according to a new report issued by the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO).

With non-communicable diseases such as cancer, stroke and heart disease accounting for 60 per cent of all deaths, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on the world's businesses leaders to help curb the risk factors behind a scourge that is expected to increase by half in developing countries by 2030.