The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations recently highlighted the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) on women and girls and called on the international community to take action on addressing NCDs and strengthen health systems. In a communiqué issued after a high-level meeting from June 28 to July 2 in New York, ECOSOC’s 54 member countries recognized, “the increasing incidence of NCDs and their impact on women.” They stressed the need for multi-sectoral responses and the integration of cost-effective interventions aimed at combating these diseases.

North Africa program “Smoke-free at Work” initiative On World No Tobacco Day, hundreds of youth from Tunisia and Algeria gathered at one of the many community activism events organized by a handful of Youth Advocacy Leaders, as part of the “Smoke-free at Work” Initiative (or “Travaillons Sans Fumée”, its name in French), to raise awareness around the dangers of secondhand smoke in the workplace.

Dr Ala Alwan, Assistant Director-General for Noncommunicable Diseases & Mental Health at the