The agreement marks the first time governments have committed to tackling chronic diseases (such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes) alongside mental health, recognizing their growing toll on lives and economies around the world.
Clear objectives for 2030
Non-communicable diseases are among the leading causes of death worldwide, while mental illnesses affect more than one billion people.
The declaration sets out measurable goals to be achieved by 2030, including reducing tobacco use, improving the control of high blood pressure, and expanding access to mental health care for millions more.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the commitments offer a “once in a generation opportunity” to change the course of global health and improve quality of life.
The declaration also calls on countries to strengthen national health policies, expand access to essential services and secure sustainable financing to turn promises into actions.
Progress will be reviewed through regular United Nations reports and governments are expected to show concrete results in the coming years.
Afghan mothers turned away from health centers amid dire cuts
The dire funding situation facing humanitarian workers around the world continues to have a devastating impact on vulnerable communities.
In today's Afghanistan, this means that children are not getting the help they need (and used to get) to prevent hunger from getting worse.
In an update on Tuesday, the UN World Food Program (WFP) warned that more than 17 million Afghans are at risk as winter progresses.
This is more than two million more than last year, according to the global authority on hunger, the Integrated Food Safety Phase Classification (IPC) platform.
WFP's Jean-Martin Bauer explained the impact of unprecedented reductions in funding for essential services: “Above all, mothers go to health centers with their children hoping to receive some support for themselves,” but in many cases they have been turned away “because there are no longer available resources.”
Fears deepen
The agency says clear signs of a deepening humanitarian crisis are being confirmed on the ground, with families “skipping meals for days” as hunger worsens.
“Our teams are seeing families taking extreme measures to survive,” said John Aylieff, WFP country director in Afghanistan. “Child deaths are increasing and risk getting worse in the coming months.”
Afghanistan is facing a harsh winter after drought destroyed crops, jobs were lost and recent earthquakes left thousands of people homeless.
Forced returns from Pakistan and Iran exacerbate needs: 2.5 million people were returned this year, many of them malnourished.
However, aid is being reduced. The WFP needs $468 million to help six million people survive the winter.
Violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo drives 500,000 people from their homes
UN agencies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) say more than half a million people have fled their homes in recent days, in eastern areas overrun by Rwandan-backed M23 fighters.
“No one should have to choose between safety and survival,” the WFP said in an online post on Tuesday, as South Kivu province witnesses its most significant escalation of hostilities since the beginning of the year.
To help, the agency urgently needs $350 million to deliver life-saving food to communities affected by decades of insecurity in this vast, resource-rich region.
Meanwhile, in neighboring Burundi, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, reported that around 64,000 refugees have arrived and more are on the way.
The needs include medical assistance and shelter, the agency said. It also issued a warning about unaccompanied or separated children and the “high percentage” of women at risk among the newly displaced.
Suspended operations
Fighting in parts of South Kivu has forced the suspension of all humanitarian operations in the towns of Fizi and Baraka, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday, amid reports of panic and looting by armed groups.
Local authorities estimate that around 110,000 people have been displaced since December 8, many of them sheltering in public spaces without access to help. Some have crossed into Burundi, while others are moving towards Tanzania.
Aid deliveries are gradually resuming in Uvira and Bukavu, but OCHA warned that access remains fragile as needs continue to increase.
