Brasilia, 8 May 2012 (PAHO/WHO) – Health authorities from throughout the Americas are gathering with representatives of civil society, academia and the private sector in Brazil this week for the first meeting of the Pan American Forum for Action on Non-communicable Diseases: “Transforming NCD Declarations into Actions.”  

Participants will discuss joint efforts to address the epidemic of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which are responsible for 80 percent of all deaths in the Americas. The Pan American Forum is a platform for information exchange and collaborative action involving all sectors of society. It seeks to create synergies in the development of innovative strategic partnerships to intensify cross-sector collaboration and generate policies and campaigns for prevention and control of NCDs. 

This week’s meeting is organized by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), with the support of the Ministry of Health of Brazil.  Speakers include Minister of Health of Brazil Alexandre Padilha, PAHO Deputy Director Dr. Jon Andrus, and representatives from civil society and the private sector. 

More than 200 representatives of governments, companies, civil society organizations, academic institutions, and multilateral agencies will participate in the meeting, which will focus on the implementation of evidence-based prevention and control interventions approved by PAHO Member States as part of the Regional Strategy for Prevention and Control of NCDs and contained in the political declaration signed by heads of state and government during the United Nations High-level Meeting on Non-communicable Diseases, held in September 2011.  The overarching goal is to prevent 3.5 million deaths in the Americas over the next decade. 

According to the World Economic Forum, NCDs cost societies billions of dollars and are a challenge to countries’ economic development on par with fiscal crises, natural disasters, corruption, and infectious diseases. 

The Pan American Forum for Action on NCDs is a PAHO initiative that invites actors from all sectors to work together to fight the epidemic of NCDs. 

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• PAHO/Pan American Forum
• PAHO/Chronic Diseases
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