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Hong Kong (HKSAR) – The Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow,
continued his programme in New York, the United States, on September 20 (New
York time). Dr Chow attended the closing plenary meeting of the United
Nations high-level meeting on prevention and control of non-communicable
diseases (NCDs) this afternoon.
The two-day high-level meeting was attended by senior ministers and experts,
health officials, leading academics and industry leaders from all over the
world.
The attendees adopted a declaration calling for a multi-pronged campaign by
governments, industry and civil society to set up by 2013 the plans needed
to curb the risk factors, such as tobacco and alcohol use, behind the four
groups of NCDs – cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory
diseases and diabetes. The declaration also stressed that the overall toll
of NCDs is estimated at 36 million, or two-thirds of the deaths worldwide,
annually.
“Evidence showed that major NCDs share a core set of modifiable behavioural
risk factors, such as unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, smoking and the
harmful use of alcohol,” Dr Chow said.
“Health promotion and preventive interventions are cost-effective in
reducing NCDs’ morbidity and mortality. Hong Kong supports the call by the
United Nations to promote, establish and strengthen policies and plans for
the prevention and control of NCDs,” he added.
Dr Chow stressed that the current NCDs challenge is greater than previously
realised, and that, with the Government assuming a leadership role,
stakeholders in all sectors need to collaborate to create a supportive
environment to achieve better health.
He called on individuals in society to take up their own responsibility for
their health, and to make responsible choices when it comes to lifestyle
behaviours.
Dr Chow will proceed to Atlanta on September 21 (New York time).
Source: HKSAR Government