The Pacific is on the global frontlines of the fight against Non-Communicable Diseases and the time has come for action with deadlines to reverse the crisis without delay, regional leaders heard at the opening of the Pacific Non-Communicable Diseases Summit in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, this morning.

In opening the summit, Tonga’s King Tupou VI said that in the Western Pacific region NCDs “account for more than 80 percent of all deaths and 50% of premature deaths…and the global burden of NCDs constitutes one of the major challenges to development in the 21^st century, which undermines social development goals.”

“We are relying on strong leadership to turn the tide of NCDS. We have the ability to halt and reverse this NCD crisis. We have the power to protect our people. We have the power to provide our children with a better future and to keep our development aspirations on track,” King Tupou VI said.

Critical juncture

The United Nations Development Program Administrator Helen Clark addressing the summit thanked Tonga’s King Tupou VI for “his strong message, which is so important for people of Tonga and the region to hear.”

“All of us have come together here in Tonga because we are committed to addressing the health and development challenges which NCDs are posing to the Pacific, and to redoubling our joint efforts to turn the tide on this epidemic of disease.”

Ms Clark said that the Pacific has the determination to meet the challenge head on, and already it is showing strong leadership in the NCD response.

 “The Pacific is at a critical juncture in the NCD response. Successes to date are still outstripped by illness, disability, human suffering, and premature deaths from NCDs. The region is very much on the frontlines of this global fight, just as it is on the frontlines of the fight against climate change.”

In calling attention to the immense NCD challenge faced by the region, she said that as recently as the 1960s, diabetes was not a significant problem in the Pacific Islands. “Today, every twelve hours a Fijian loses a part of his or her lower limbs to this debilitating condition. The story, sadly, is similar elsewhere in the sub-region. Of the ten countries and territories with the highest diabetes prevalence in the world last year, eight were Pacific Island countries. The year before that, seven Pacific Island countries were ranked amongst the ten most obese countries globally.

“Forty percent of Pacific Islanders have been diagnosed with an NCD according to WHO in 2010 - many before they have reached their 40th birthday. In several countries, including Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands, over one-third of deaths from NCDs occur before the age of sixty – a much higher proportion than in many other low–and middle-income countries. Cardiovascular disease, cancers, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes are clearly no longer unique to wealthy countries and aging populations,” she

“Win-wins are possible for health and development – take taxes on health-harming products like tobacco as a powerful example of that. Such taxes discourage people using products which harm their health.

However, She warned leaders that it is important to guard against policy interference when targeted by the tobacco lobby and others.

"Of course, tobacco is not the only health-harming product of concern. A majority of Pacific Island countries have now raised taxes on sugar and sugar-sweetened beverages, while a number have decreased taxes on fresh produce. We need both incentives and disincentives to change behaviours and promote healthier consumption.”

Reversible crisis

Ms Clark believes that the NCD crisis is surmountable and reversible. She said the Summit is an important opportunity for the Pacific to redouble commitments to addressing the NCD crisis without delay, and to be a pathfinder for how we can build the partnerships across governments, regional organizations, the UN, civil society, and the private sector to best respond to NCDs.

Ms Clarke said the new global Agenda 2030 and the SAMOA Pathway can be catalysts for NCD action.

“A proactive NCD response will help the Pacific to make lasting progress on a wide range of other health and development priorities in turn, and support the achievement of the SAMOA Pathway’s aspirations and the Sustainable Development Goals.”

Action

Ms Clarke later told a press conference after the opening that the Pacific has strong leadership pushing this.

“There are agendas in place, some good laws in place, good regulations, good taxes, good policies - the thing is really action, action, action! You have to complement it with the work of the community level because until the community is empowered to really take charge of its health, all the government action can’t really reach its full potential. …I think that’s where the focus needs to go.

“It can be solved but it is going to take a lot of effort because, particularly, I think with the obesity related issues and diabetes we are looking at roughly a half century long trend of people moving away from traditional foods and healthy diets and a lot of physical exercise, so you are really trying to reverse that trend.

“There’s quite a lot of things that have to happen to get this right.

“But it is an opportunity for Pacific to show global leadership on this. I don’t know of any other region in the world, which is this focused on NCDs I travel everywhere so global leadership can come from the Pacific on this,” Ms Clark said.

Tonga's Prime Minister Hon. 'Akilisi Pohiva and the Minister of Health Hon. saia Piukala presented Ms Clark with a carved Tongan warclub. The UNDP Administrator left Tonga this afternoon for New Zealand.