The first meeting of the newly-formed Coordination Committee on Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) was held on Monday with a decision to develop cost-effective intervention and implementation monitoring frameworks.
The high-level meeting, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani, was held at the Cabinet Division Conference Room in the capital. Senior secretaries and secretaries of the 35 ministries and divisions, which are signatories to the joint declaration on NCD prevention and control, participated in it.
The meeting was jointly organised by the Cabinet Division and the Health Services Division, with technical collaboration from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The cabinet secretary noted that the prevention and control of NCDs is one of the government's top priorities. He underscored the importance of moving beyond conventional approaches, adopting innovative measures, and developing specific and time-bound action plans.
WHO Representative to Bangladesh Dr. Ahmed Jamsheed Mohamed was present as a special guest. He reaffirmed WHO's commitment to providing all necessary technical support for advancing NCD prevention and control efforts.
During the meeting, a number of areas of collaboration were identified for the Cabinet Division, the ministries and divisions, and WHO and other development partners.
Of them, a 'Health in All Policies' strategic guidance was adopted to provide policy directions to integrate NCD prevention and control priorities into the formulation of policies, strategies, and development plans across all the ministries and divisions. Active support will be coordinated to build nationwide public awareness using a 'Whole-of-Government' and 'Whole-of-Society' approach to tackle NCDs.
The meeting adopted a decision that within the next one month, each of the ministries and divisions will nominate a respective senior official as a focal point to facilitate coordination, implementation, and progress reporting on the joint declaration.
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