News outlets report on a new WHO report showing a lack of national-level action and commitment to controlling non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Newsweek: Deaths From Cancer and Heart Disease Surge in Developing Countries, But Funding Hasn’t Caught Up
“Noncommunicable diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes killed 38 million people last year, most of them in developing countries, but the majority of donor dollars for poorer countries are still being pumped into the targeting of infectious diseases…” (Westcott, 7/10).

U.N. News Centre: World’s poor hardest hit by chronic diseases, says top U.N. health official
“At a high-level review and assessment by the United Nations General Assembly of progress achieved in the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan [Thursday] expressed deep concern about projected trends, especially as poor populations, the least able to cope, will be hit the hardest…” (7/10).

U.N. News Centre: Health officials weigh national efforts to tackle non-communicable diseases, as U.N. launches new report
“With world leaders gathered today in New York for the United Nations General Assembly’s review of efforts made since 2011 in controlling non-communicable diseases like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic lung disease, the organizations’ top health official launched a new report that shows progress at the national level has been insufficient and uneven…” (7/10).

VOA News: WHO: 38 Million Die Annually From Chronic Diseases
“…A new report from the WHO warns that nearly half of those who die from non-communicable diseases — about 16 million people — do so prematurely, before the age of 70. The majority of people who die from these illnesses reside in developing countries…” (Besheer, 7/10).

Xinhua/GlobalPost: WHO calls for scaled-up action on noncommunicable diseases
“…Although many countries have made progress in tackling the ‘epidemic’ of NCDs, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic lung disease, current global mortality from NCDs remains ‘unacceptably high and is increasing,’ said a new WHO report…” (7/10).