ECOSOC/UNESCWA/WHO Western Asia Ministerial Meeting “Addressing noncommunicable diseases and injuries: major challenges to sustainable development in the 21st century” (Hosted in Doha by the Government of Qatar, 10-11 May 2009)

• A threat to socio-economic development: The World Economic Forum(3), surveying the landscape of global risks for 2009, ranked noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) as the third most likely risk to come true and the fourth most severe in its impact. NCDs were seen as a threat to global well-being, exceeded only by asset price collapse, spikes in oil and gas prices, and the slowing of the Chinese economy. The World Bank estimates that one third of the poorest two quintiles in developing countries die prematurely from NCDs, which affects their families and acts as a chronic poverty trap for them(4).