No ‘business as usual’ against non-communicable diseases

Each year non-communicable diseases such as cardio-vascular diseases, diabetes and cancer kill over 40 million people around the world – with over 80% of victims in developing and emerging countries. The vast majority of these fatalities are avoidable. In order to understand the root causes of this global epidemic, it is imperative to scrutinise the role of the internationally operating food, drink and tobacco industries. To counter these disease-causing factors on a global scale, action by international politics is required. And: to help people who are affected in poor countries, healthcare systems must be ready to cope with this epidemic.   

Non-communicable, chronic diseases pose a huge challenge to national healthcare systems as well as international health politics. The following factors drive their spread and hamper their control:

• changes in consumer behaviour driven by globalised trade
• the flooding of markets with unhealthy food, drink and other products
• unplanned urbanisation
• healthcare centres insufficiently prepared to deal with non-communicable diseases
• insufficient access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment

The international community and national governments alike must act. Millions of people can be prevented from having to live with or die from a non-communicable disease via the successful implementation of the goals of the UN Agenda 2030 (SDGs) or the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Global Action Plan.

An important milestone in the fight against non-communicable diseases will be reached in 2018 with the UN High Level Meeting on NCDs: the MMS Symposium offers an excellent opportunity to establish the fundamentals for a Swiss position statement.

Lectures, Workshops and Debates

At the MMS Symposium experts and practitioners from the international healthcare community will discuss the following key issues:

• The causes of the global NCD epidemic and strategies taken by Switzerland and the international community to combat them.
• Ways to prepare healthcare providers in emerging and developing countries for the challenges of non-communicable diseases

Keynote speaker Alejandro Calvillo Unna, Mexico

He received a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana and has carried out doctoral studies in Philosophy at the Universidad de Barcelona (pending degree). Alejandro was a founding member of Greenpeace Mexico before founding the consumer rights organization El Poder del Consumidor in 2006, where he serves as the current director. With El Poder del Consumidor, Alejandro has been a central actor from the civil society to obtain a soda tax in Mexico.

Other speakers

Nora Kronig Romero, head of international affairs division, FOPH

Manfred Zahorka, head of sexual and reproductive health unit, Swiss TPH

As well as representatives from civil society, research, politics and SDC.

The symposium is part of a long-term cooperation agreement with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC.

A special thanks goes to the Novartis Foundation, SolidarMed and the Swiss Red Cross for their generous financial contribution.

Date & Time

November, 02 2017; 09:00 – 16:30 h

Venue

Pullman Hotel, Basel
Find your way to the conference.

Language

Translations to German, French and English will be provided

Information

Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland
Phone: ++41 (0)61 383 18 10, E-Mail

Charges

Standardcharge: CHF 170

MMS members: CHF 80

Students: CHF 80

Registration

Registered participants who do not within 24 hours before the start of the conference will have to pay the full amount.

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