Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting 2011

Non-Communicable Diseases - A Priority for the Commonwealth
Geneva, 15 May 2011

Background

This year's Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting (CHMM) theme is 'Non-Communicable Diseases - A Priority for the Commonwealth'.

At the 2009 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, the ‘Statement on Commonwealth Action to combat Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)’ was adopted. The statement acknowledged the epidemic of NCDs to be a serious threat to global health and sustainable development. This provided a rationale for discussing the steps that the Commonwealth Secretariat can take to lead on this issue and influence the global agenda. Thus the Commonwealth Secretariat developed the Road Map on NCDs which was accepted by Ministers of Health at their annual meeting in Geneva on 16 May 2010. At this meeting Commonwealth Ministers of Health unanimously agreed that NCDs should be adopted as the theme for the CHMM 2011.

Meeting Objectives

The meeting will seek to provide countries with an opportunity to examine the burden of NCDs in the Commonwealth and the challenges and opportunities that members face. It will discuss the outcomes of the implementation of the Commonwealth Secretariat Road Map on NCDs whilst identifying elements of possible contribution to the debate at the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs in September 2011. In addition, the CHMM will provide an opportunity for the Secretariat to acquire policy and technical direction for existing and proposed work on both health Millennium Development Goals and NCDs.

The chair of the meeting is the Hon Prof A F M Ruhal Haque, Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Bangladesh.

Venue

The meeting will take place at the Starling Geneva Hotel and Conference Centre (formerly known as Crowne Plaza Hotel).