Sharjah meeting brings together global partners in health
Leaders from the American College of Cardiology will gather this month with more than 200 health leaders and key stakeholders in the United Arab Emirates attending the first Global NCD Alliance Forum, which will convene global health leaders to discuss how the global community can come together to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Representatives at the meeting in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, will exam the challenges, best practices and opportunities to advocate for action on NCDs as a priority issue at all levels of community - local, regional, national and international. Other areas of focus will include how to ensure NCD alliances are functioning to be effective advocates and how various alliances and key stakeholders can collaborate to increase the impact of these efforts.
Leaders from the ACC will participate in sessions throughout the forum. Gerard Martin, M.D., FACC, chair of the ACC's Population Health Committee, will discuss the value of working in a multi-sectoral fashion with non-governmental organizations, governments, companies, patients, and other stakeholders to reduce the burden of NCDs during the "Power of Partnerships and Collaborations for NCDs" session.
"Non-communicable diseases account for almost 70 percent of deaths worldwide and the vast majority of premature death from NCDs takes place in low- and middle-income countries. This meeting helps raise awareness of the devastating effects of these diseases and allows the global community to come together and discuss how to lower the burden of non-communicable diseases," Martin said.
William Zoghbi, M.D., MACC, past-president of the ACC, will join the "Effective NCD Alliances for Advocacy Impact" workshop focusing on twinning, or partnering, to build initiatives between developed and developing countries. Zoghbi will lead a discussion on building bridges across NCD communities.
"Heart disease touches every corner of the globe and is the No. 1 killer in the world. Working in partnership with the NCD community allows the ACC to offer its expertise while also gaining knowledge from other stakeholders. This is a fight taking place at every level of communities and we look forward to working together to create a healthier world," Zoghbi said.
Population health is a strategic priority of the ACC, which recently brought together a wide array of experts in prevention of heart disease and related conditions to address issues such as smoking and nutrition. Engaging with the global community is part of the ACC's mission to transform care and improve heart health around the world by developing public health strategies for improving population health.
Provided by American College of Cardiology
