Maltese MEP urges EU to fight non-communicable diseases worldwide

MEP Busuttil addressed a plenary session of the European Parliament debating a resolution on the UN Summit on NCDs and called on EU to take leadership in the fight.

According to statistics discussed during the NCD summit in September 2011, NCDs such as heart attacks, strokes, cancers, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease account for 63% of deaths worldwide and 86% of deaths in Europe.

"The majority of chronic NCDs can be prevented, if we put our minds together, many lives can be saved”, said Busuttil.

In the political declaration drafted up following the General Assembly on the prevention and control of NCDs, it was agreed that NCDs are a “global burden” and “one of the major challenges for development in the 21st century” threatening international achievement of social and economic development goals.

The “urgent need for greater measures at global, regional and national levels” was recognised and strategies discussed to increase awareness and solutions regarding this health problem. Busuttil said, “Unlike financial crises, this subject may not hit the news easily, however, it affects our citizens on a daily basis nevertheless” and a strong commitment needs to be displayed by Europe in order to raise awareness “through ambitious targets to reverse the trend of NCD-related deaths”.