Organizational Update: World Health Organization.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including stroke and heart attacks, the largest causes of mortality worldwide, are now firmly on the global agenda through the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. There are several important initiatives underway to address the burden of stroke worldwide and to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of reducing premature mortality from NCDs by one third by 2030 (SDG 3.4). In May 2017, the 70th World Health Assembly sets out the preparation for the third high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the prevention and control of NCDs, to be held at the United Nations in September 2018. The resolution on this item urged member states to continue to implement related resolutions and commitments. The Assembly also endorsed an updated Appendix 3 of the WHO Global Action Plan on NCDs—a set of cost-effective and other recommended interventions to prevent …