05.06.2017
“Appendix III” is critical for accelerating progress on NCDs

PLOS BLOGS In 2011 the first United Nations high-level meeting on non-communicable diseases took place. So far, the UN Member States have failed to meet their commitments and, especially in the developing countries, the targets set in 2011 will not be reached until the next high-level meeting in 2018.

A document in the NCD Action Plan with the unassuming official name "Appendix III" has now been updated at the WHA and is the main technical document that countries utilise when developing national NCD plans and policies. This updated version reflects the latest evidence, for example, taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) to prevent overweight and obesity. As this is contrary to certain economic interests, a few member states insists against the document. (Photo: Sweets/Nicu Buculei / flickr; CC BY-SA 2.0)