Non-communicable diseases caused 36 million deaths last year, and 80% of them were in low- and middle-income countries. Chronic respiratory diseases are among the top four NCDs (with cancer, diabetes and heart disease), so clearly this issue is of major importance to The Union. That is why the Union became one of the four principal partners in the NCD Alliance in 2009 and have been active in advocating for a UN Summit on NCDs.
This UN Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases is now scheduled for 19-20 September 2011 in New York.
For more details, please see the full press release at here and also visit the NCD Alliance site at http://www.ncdalliance.org/