UN / NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES

STORY: UN / NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES
TRT: 2:33
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTION: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / SPANISH / NATS

DATELINE: 27 SEPTEMBER 2018, NEW YORK CITY

SHOTLIST:

1.Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters
2.Wide shot, conference room
3.SOUNDBITE (English) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“Very often political intervention is surgical intervention, it brings paradigm shift, that is why political intervention is important.”
4.Wide shot, conference room
5.SOUNDBITE (English) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“WHO’s ‘best buys’ are cost effective and affordable for all countries. Spending to build a healthier population is not a cost, it is an investment in human capital that pays a rich reward. And third, universal coverage, the best way to prevent and treat noncommunicable diseases alongside all health strategy is to ensure all people can access the health services they need, without worrying about whether they can afford it.”
6.Wide shot, conference room
7.SOUNDBITE (English) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“We stand in solidarity with those who need not to die if we act now. We stand committed to a healthier, safer and fairer world.”
8.Wide shot, conference room
9.SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Tabaré Vázquez, President of Uruguay:
“If we are to tackle NCD, we must have the necessary political commitment at the highest levels, and we are humbly calling on all leaders of the Member States of the United Nations to work together on this issue and to do so with the fullest political will to take this issue forward.”
10.Wide shot, conference room
11.Wide shot, people walking in conference building
12. Wide shot, delegates and attendants walking in corridors
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael R. Bloomberg, Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries, World Health Organization (WHO):
“Promoting such policies for Non-communicable diseases has been a focus of my role as the World Health Organization’s global ambassador for non-communicable disease over the last two years; and today WHO director general Dr. Tedros invited me to serve for another two-year term and I’m glad to accept. WHO has helped to lead the charge on NCDs and it’s important to see the UN using its resources to help bring more attention and spread more action on this issue. Reducing premature deaths from NCDs is one of the UN sustainable development goals and it really is achievable.”
14. Wide shot, delegates and attendants walking in corridors

STORYLINE:

The World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that political intervention is “important” to combat noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). He also announced the reappointment of Michael Bloomberg as the WHO Global Ambassador on the issue.

Speaking at the third High-level Meeting on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) today (27 Sep) in New York, WHO’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reaffirmed his organization’s commitment and proposed three actions to be take in order to win the fight against Non-communicable Diseases.

He said the first one is political commitment, adding that “very often political intervention is surgical intervention, it brings paradigm shift.”

The second action is domestic investment. Ghebreyesus said “‘best buys’ are cost effective and affordable for all countries. Spending to build a healthier population is not a cost, it is an investment in human capital that pays a rich reward.”

He continued “and third, universal coverage, the best way to prevent and treat non-communicable diseases alongside all health strategy is to ensure all people can access the health services they need, without worrying about whether they can afford it.”

‘Best buys’ is a cluster of cost-effective interventions that WHO has introduced to treat noncommunicable diseases.

Echoing WHO's Dr. Tedros, President of Uruguay Tabaré Vázquez also highlighted the importance of political commitment on the issue.

He said “if we are to tackle NCDs, we must have the necessary political commitment at the highest levels, and we are humbly calling on all leaders of the Member States of the United Nations to work together on this issue and to do so with the fullest political will to take this issue forward.”

WHO today also reappointed Michael R. Bloomberg as WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries.

Speaking at another meeting at the UN, Michael R. Bloomberg said“promoting such policies for Non-communicable diseases has been a focus of my role as the World Health Organization’s global ambassador for non-communicable disease over the last two years; and today WHO director general Dr. Tedros invited me to serve for another two-year term and I’m glad to accept.”

Bloomberg added “WHO has helped to lead the charge on NCDs and it’s important to see the UN using its resources to help bring more attention and spread more action on this issue. Reducing premature deaths from NCDs is one of the UN sustainable development goals and it really is achievable.”

During his second term as Global Ambassador, Bloomberg will continue to support global, national, and local efforts to protect people from NCDs and injuries. Many of the work streams from the first appointment will continue, including building the Partnership for Healthy Cities and promoting investment in NCD and injury prevention.