Informing the 2011 UN Session on Noncommunicable Diseases Applying Lessons from the AIDS Response

Abstract

The September 2011 UN High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases provides an opportunity for the international community and national stakeholders to raise awareness and launch an effective global response to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Valuable policy lessons have been learned in the control of AIDS that can help inform the global dialogue when designing a NCD response in developing countries. The AIDS response demonstrates successes in advocacy and resource mobilization, priority setting, coalition building, strong national and community leadership, strengthening of community health infrastructures, and health systems strengthening. Weaknesses of the AIDS response to avoid when building a NCD response include creation of stove-pipe vertical programs, ineffectiveness of prevention efforts, and inefficient and uncoordinated use of resources. The lessons learned in the global response to AIDS are relevant to the likely outcomes of the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs: (1) improvement in advocacy and recognition of the NCD burden, (2) greater attention in national planning and resource allocation, (3) a longer-term investment of donors, and (4) greater emphasis on strengthening health systems.