WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ
REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE BUREAU RÉGIONAL DE L'EUROPE
WELTGESUNDHEITSORGANISATION ВСЕМИРНАЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ ЗДРАВООХРАНЕНИЯ
REGIONALBÜRO FÜR EUROPA ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЕ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЕ БЮРО
/2
74th Session of the WHO Regional
Committee for Europe
RACE to the Finish: European Regional
Multi-stakeholder Consultation on the
Forth United Nations High Level Meeting
on Noncommunicable Diseases and
Mental Health
Virtual Side Event 9 September 2024
22 October 2024 Original: English
10:00 – 11:30 CET
Scope and purpose
Overview
Everyone has a stake in accelerating action on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental
health. To emphasize the urgency of this work, at the 73rd session of the WHO Regional
Committee for Europe (RC73) held in Astana in 2023, the Region launched a 100-week
challenge to make every week count to achieve the internationally agreed NCD-related SDG
targets ahead of the Fourth High-level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly
(HLM4) in 2025.
The Region is not yet on track to achieve this target, or the targets and indicators for the
associated NCD Global Monitoring Framework, so there is no room for complacency.
Unless the WHO best buys for NCDs are implemented more rapidly, including reducing tobacco
use, it has been estimated that the European Region will have the highest proportion of smoking
adults of all WHO regions, projected to reach 23% by 2030. Currently, people over the age of 15
years in Europe consume the highest amount of alcohol per capita in the world, and none of the
Member States in the European Region will achieve the 2025 target to halt the rise of overweight
and obesity that was committed to as part of the NCD Global Monitoring Framework. Although
mortality from cardiovascular disease has declined in recent years, the rate of decline is stalling
in many countries. In addition, deaths from cancer far exceed those that can be prevented or
avoided. Factors such as conflict, pandemics, insecurity, natural disasters, increased levels of
addiction and the increasingly digital and disconnected lives that people lead have exacerbated
the mental health challenges faced by populations in the Region.
At this session, representatives from Member States and civil society, as well as other
stakeholders will review the progress that has been made and consider the urgency of the action
needed to be taken towards the attainment of SDG target 3.4 relating to NCDs and mental health.
Languages
This session will be in English and Russian
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ
WELTGESUNDHEITSORGANISATION Date: 11 September 2024
ВСЕМИРНАЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ ЗДРАВООХРАНЕНИЯ
REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE Ms Helen Sõber
BUREAU RÉGIONAL DE L’EUROPE
REGIONALBÜRO FÜR EUROPA
Adviser
ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЕ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЕ БЮРО European Union Affairs and International Co-
Head office:
operation Department
UN City, Marmorvej 51, Ministry of Social Affairs
DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark Suur-Ameerika 1
Tel.: +45 45 33 70 00; Fax: +45 45 33 70 01
Email:
[email protected] 10122 Tallinn
Website: https://www.who.int/europe Estonia
Our reference: Your reference:
Notre référence: Votre référence:
Unser Zeichen: Ihr Zeichen:
См. наш номер: На Ваш номер:
Dear Ms Sõber,
74th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe
Virtual Side Event
RACE to the Finish: European Regional Multi-stakeholder Consultation on the Fourth United
Nations High Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health
I have the honour to inform you that the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe plans
to hold the above-mentioned virtual side event on 22 October 2024 from 10:00 – 11:30 CET.
The aim of the event is to review the latest regional data on progress made toward attainment of the
noncommunicable disease (NCD) targets ahead of the Fourth High Level Meeting of the United
Nations General Assembly (HLM4) in 2025, to recognize the urgency of the action needed to
accelerate progress, and to discuss an agenda for action for the last five years of the SDG era.
The Region is not yet on track to achieve SDG target 3.4 related to NCDs and mental health, or the
targets and indicators for the associated NCD Global Monitoring Framework, so there is no room for
complacency. Everyone has a stake in accelerating action on NCDs and mental health.
I have pleasure in inviting you to nominate up to six (6) participants representing each of the
following stakeholder groups: government, academia, professional societies, civil society, people with
lived experience and youth. The participants will have the opportunity to review and submit online
comments on a discussion paper outlining an agenda for action to accelerate attainment of the NCD
targets in the remaining five years before the 2030 SDG deadline. An outline of the scope and purpose
of the meeting is enclosed. A link to the discussion paper will be shared in late September.
The working language will be English. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in Russian.
I look forward to receiving your nominations, giving the names, functional titles, and addresses of the
proposed participants at your early convenience. We shall then communicate with them directly and
provide them with the necessary registration and document review links.
UN City, Marmorvej 51 Tel.: +45 45 33 70 00 Email:
[email protected]
DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø Fax: +45 45 33 70 01 Website: https://www.who.int/europe
Denmark
Nominations should be sent to
[email protected] no later than 23 September 2024. Allison Ekberg,
Technical Officer for NCDs, is responsible for this activity and it would be appreciated if you would
address your questions to her.
Sincerely yours,
Dr Gauden Galea
Strategic Adviser to the Regional Director
Special Initiative on NCDs and Innovation
Encls:
Scope and purpose
Copy for information to:
Ms Triin Uusberg, Head, European Union Affairs and International Co-operation Department, Ministry of
Social Affairs, Suur-Ameerika 1, 10129 Tallinn, Estonia
H.E. Ms Riia Salsa-Audiffren, Ambassador Representative of the Republic of Estonia, Permanent Mission of
the Republic of Estonia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Chemin
du Petit-Saconnex 28A, CH-1209 Genève, Switzerland
H.E. Mr Andre Pung, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (agréé), Embassy of the Republic of
Estonia, Frederiksgade 19, 4th floor, 1265 Copenhagen K, Denmark
Ms Kristina Köhler, Liaison Officer, WHO Country Office, Estonia, Paldiski Road 81, 10617 Tallinn, Estonia
–2–
–3–
Saatja: "EURO NCD" <
[email protected]>
Saaja: "Helen Sõber"
Teema: 74th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe - Virtual Side Event 22nd October 2024 10:00-11:30 CET
Kuupäev: 2024-09-13 11:57
Dear National Counterpart,
Please find attached invitation to nominate participants for the above
event. The scope and purpose for the event is attached as well.
Many thanks,
Kind regards,
WHO Secretariat
Anita Strandsbjerg
Special Initiative on NCDs and Innovation
World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe
Marmorvej 51
DK-2100 Copenhagen
Denmark
Tel +45 4533 6861
E-mail
[email protected]