WHO Montevideo Roadmap 2018-2030 on NCDs as a Sustainable Development Priority

WHO has announced that Governments endorsed the Montevideo Roadmap 2018-2030 on NCDs as a Sustainable Development Priority at the opening of the three-day Global Conference on Noncommunicable Diseases in Montevideo, hosted by WHO and the Presidency of Uruguay.

Montevideo Roadmap 2018-2030 on NCDs as a Sustainable Development Priority pdf, 269kb
The pledge follows agreement by world leaders to reduce “premature” deaths from NCDs by one-third by 2030 as part of the United Nations’ Agenda for Sustainable Development. Today, NCDs kill 40 million annually, more than any other cause of death. Of these deaths, 15 million occur prematurely among people aged 30-70 years, and 7 million in low- and low-middle income countries.

The Montevideo Roadmap highlights the need for coordinated and coherent action from all sectors and the whole of society, as many of the main drivers of ill health lie outside the control of health ministries, systems and professionals. Non-State actors, including civil society and industry, have important roles to play.

It also points out that the bulk of NCD deaths could have been prevented by action against tobacco, air pollution, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, and harmful use of alcohol – as well as by improved disease detection and treatment.

The Montevideo Roadmap identifies a range of challenges, including:

- uneven and insufficient progress to reduce premature deaths from NCDs;
- influence of the private sector on governments to prioritize trade over public health goals;
- lack of high-level political leadership to ensure that health promotion and NCD pre-vention and control are part of all areas of government policy.