Dr. Nicholas Alipui, director of programs at UNICEF, announced last week that the agency has decided to update its iconic information resource “Facts for Life” to include information about non communicable diseases (NCDs) in children and adolescents. Read more in this guest post from Jeff Meer, Special Advisor for Global Health Policy and Development at the Public Health Institute on UNICEF’s new drive to tackle NCDs in children and adolescents.
The following is a guest blog from Jeff Meer, Special Advisor for Global Health Policy and Development at the Public Health Institute (PHI).
Dr. Nicholas Alipui, director of programs at UNICEF, announced last week that the agency has decided to update its iconic information resource “Facts for Life” to include information about non communicable diseases (NCDs) in children and adolescents. Speaking at a Ministerial breakfast as part of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on July 6, Dr. Alipui said that by updating “Facts for Life” with information about NCDs, ordinary people the world over will have access to vital information they need about preventing NCDs in children and adolescents, as well as non-technical information about diagnosis and treatment.
“Facts for Life,” first published in 1989, has 14 chapters devoted to ensuring children’s rights to survival, growth, development and well-being.The information is presented in simple and compelling language and clear images for use among families and communities the world over.The new chapter on NCDs will be ready in “about a year,” according to Dr. Alipui.
Speaking to UN member states at the breakfast, Dr. Alipuisaid that UNICEF has decided to keep the face of children and adolescents squarely in front of the NCD community.“It is a fallacy that NCDs affect only older people,” he said, “just as it is untrue that NCDs only affect the wealthy.” NCDs including cancer, diabetes, chronic heart disease and chronic lung diseaserepresent the cause of almost two thirds of all deaths worldwide today. “UNICEF believes that the best way toapproach NCDs isto adopt a lifestyle perspective,” Dr. Alipui said.
The Ministerial Breakfast, entitled “Working Well! Safeguarding Adolescents and Youth Livelihood in the Face of NCDs and their Risk Factors” was co-sponsored by UNICEF, the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), andNCD Child(PHI is a member of the steering committee of NCD Child). The breakfast was moderated byHenry Mac-Donald, the Permanent Representative of Suriname to the United Nations. Dr. Arturo Cervantes Trejo, General Director of Mexico’s National Center for Injury Prevention at theMinistry of Health, delivered closing remarks. Speakers included Dr. John Andrus, deputy director of PAHO, Sir George Alleyne,former PAHO executive director,and Dr. Kate Armstrong, President of the Australian NGO Caring and Living as Neighbors. Representatives from at least 15 member states, including the United States, attended.
Member state representativesreviewed several documents at the breakfast, includingthe Oakland Statement on NCDs in Children and Adolescents, as well as anissues paperprepared by NCD Child on the effects of NCDs on employment of young people.
Following the breakfast, Dr. Alipui reconvened interested representatives from nonprofits and for-profit corporations at UNICEF headquarters for further informalconversations.Here, he continued the theme he had discussed in the Ministerial Breakfast, noting that “the heaviest burdens are now squarely in younger generations and in lower and middle-income countries.” According to Dr. Alipui, there is widespread recognition now that NCDs have origins very early in life, and so only a lifecycle approach will work to prevent and treat them. “This completes the circle for UNICEF,” he said “instead of focusing on one set of issues, we need to focus on the entire set of issues that children, adolescents and their families face.”
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