(Buenos Aires, 3/4/2011) More than 40 Latin American civil society organizations met in Buenos Aires to launch the Healthy Latin American Coalition (HLAC) and develop a declaration recognizing the grave impact of non-communicable diseases (NCD) in the region, not only as a health emergency but as a deterrent to human development and an obstacle in the fight to prevent poverty.

Therefore, the HLAC urges the Heads of State to participate in the high level United Nations meeting on non-communicable chronic diseases with the goal of putting a plan of action for the prevention, control and treatment of these diseases on the international agenda. Cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease comprise the main disease groups of NCDs. Principal risk factors include tobacco consumption, inadequate diet, physical inactivity and the improper consumption of alcohol, all of which are avoidable and preventable social determinants of health and also increase levels of arterial hypertension, dislipidemias and obesity. The four diseases are responsible for approximately 60% of total deaths and 44% of premature deaths. In addition, 80% of these deaths occur in low and middle income countries.

Latin America is keenly aware of this situation. For the HLAC, “the increasing health costs caused by these diseases threaten to collapse public healthy systems and economies in Latin American countries. In spite of the severity of the situation, the funding to fight NCDs is only 1% of the total funding dedicated to development. The world needs for the States to quickly commit to reducing the deaths and disability that are caused by these diseases and our region should be at the forefront of this movement.

NCDs increase social inequality due their increased effects on the poor, uneducated, ethnic groups and women. In addition, these groups also have less access to health services and other social resources. In the meeting, which included individuals from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the civil society organization proposed that the governments of Latin American work in a coordinated manner in order to present a common and united front during the meetings in September. Latin America has the capacity to propose long term policies to fight NCDs in order to ensure rights and sustainable development. We must move towards a United Nations resolution on non-communicable diseases which includes concrete lifesaving objectives and favorable country development on government’s agendas.

Download the Declaration here.

For more information please contact Laura Itchart, FIC Argentina press, 54 11 156 402 3659

Organizations attending the meeting in Buenos Aires Fundación Interamericana del Corazón (FIC), Sociedad Latinoamericana y del Caribe de Oncología Médica (SLACOM) Unión Internacional Contra el Cáncer (UICC) International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (La Unión) Asociación Latinoamericana de Diabetes (ALAD) American Cancer Society American Network for Chronic Disease Surveillance (AMNET) Asociación Lupus Chaco Pacientes On-line Asociación de Oncología Integrativa (ASOI) Asociación Latinoamericana de Tórax (ALAT) Centro de Investigación para la Epidemia de Tabaquismo (CIET) Coalición de Pacientes con Cáncer y enfermedades de Alto Costo - Perú Del Plata Adventist University, School of Health Sciences El poder del Consumidor A.C., México Esperantra – Organización de ayuda al paciente con cáncer (Perú) Federation Argentina de Cardiología FENAOMFRA -Federación Nacional de Operadores de Mercados Frutihortícolas de la República Argentina ForoSalud Perú Red Peruana de Pacientes y usuarios de servicios de salud Framework Convention Alliance (FCA) Fundación Cardiológica Argentina Fundación Cardiológica Correntina (FUNCACORR) Fundación para Prevención y Control de Enfermedades Crónicas No-Transmisibles para América Latina (FunPRECAL) Fundación Natalí dafne Flexer Instituto de Efectividad Clinica y Sanitaria (IECS) International Federation Medical Students Association Argentina (IFMSA) Internacional Alliance of Patients´ Organization (IAPO) Liga Argentina de Lucha contra el Cáncer (LALCEC) Paradigma XXI Internacional Confederation of Chile hood Cancer Paret Organization (ICCCPO) RAFA-PANA Argentina Red Usuarios, familiares y voluntarios por los derechos en salud mental (RED FUV) Sociedad Argentina de Cardiología Sociedad Interamericana de Cardiología Sociedad Latinoamericana de Aterosclerosis (SOLAT) Sociedad Latinoamericana de Nefrología e Hipertensión (SLANH) Sociedad Mexicana de Salud Pública / Sociedad Paraguaya de Medicina Interna (SOLAMI) Sociedad Sudamericana de Cardiología Unión Antitabáquica Argentina (UATA) Unión de Usuarios y Consumidores With the participation of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)