79th WHA Individual Statements
Agenda Item 12.1: Follow-up to the political declaration of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases
Esteemed delegates and Honourable Chairperson,
We welcome the commitment in the Political Declaration to equity and the integration of mental health and recognise the ambition of the three global targets related to tobacco usages, hypertension and mental health care. However, without addressing the social and commercial determinants of health, these targets risk treating symptoms while leaving root causes untouched. Poverty, inequality, and harmful industries cause and perpetuate the burden we seek to reduce.
As future health workers we will inherit the burden of what this assembly has the power to prevent. We urge Member States to translate equity commitments into concrete action by strengthening policies that address social and commercial determinants of health, including regulatory, fiscal, and cross-sectoral measures within national policies.
Thank you.
Contact person: Sie Meng Lee, Liaison Officer to the World Health Organization - lwho@ifmsa.org