The United States has halted a United Nations agreement focused on fighting noncommunicable diseases, pushing the plan to a General Assembly vote scheduled for next month. ALSO READ: NCDs: Numbers may be silent, but these statistics should scare us all The decision was made during a UN meeting on Thursday, September 25, in New York, where world leaders gathered to adopt a political declaration seen by some as a great step in addressing the global rise of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and mental health conditions. ALSO READ: Tackling Rwanda’s NCDs epidemic: A call to action After months of negotiations, the document had broad international support and was expected to be adopted by consensus. However, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the United States government would not back the declaration, noting problematic language and what he described as a flawed approach. “We will walk away from the declaration, but we will never walk away from the world or our commitment to end chronic disease,” Kennedy said during the meeting. He explained that the declaration included references to “destructive gender ideology” and expressed opposition to any implication of a right to abortion. The document does not directly mention abortion but recommends integrating chronic disease care into broader health systems such as maternal and reproductive health services, which the U.S. delegation opposed. Kennedy expressed concern about sections of the declaration on international health governance and taxation, describing the management as “oppressive” and opposing poorly defined proposals for taxing unhealthy products. The U.S. rejection caught many diplomats off guard, especially since an earlier agreement aimed to secure consensus and prevent political disputes at the meeting. U.N. General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said the declaration has strong support and shows broad compromise among governments. Instead of being adopted immediately, the declaration will now go to a vote in the General Assembly in October. The declaration is viewed as a main political signal to strengthen countries’ responses to chronic illnesses, which account for more than 70 percent of global deaths. The NCD Alliance, a global network of health organizations, noted that the document avoids firm commitments on taxing tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks, and fails to mention fossil fuel pollution, a main cause of respiratory disease. “It weakens prevention language and sidelines civil society, but this is still an important step forward for global health,” the group said.
