Morning Briefing

IRIN examines the next steps in fighting non-communicable diseases (NCDs), "the leading cause of death worldwide," noting, "The World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO), aims to reduce preventable deaths from [NCDs] like diabetes, heart attacks and strokes, chronic respiratory diseases and cancers, by 25 percent by 2025." According to IRIN, "WHO is coordinating negotiations on the surveillance, indicators and voluntary targets that will form an eventual global plan to fight NCDs, and is drafting recommendations to be considered by member governments in October 2012." IRIN provides a link to a WHO summary of "recent discussions [.pdf] with civil society and government representatives on the best ways to rein in NCDs, and how to measure progress."