RFK Jr. 'rejects' a U.N. declaration on non-communicable diseases

On Thursday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy. Jr. said "The United States will locomotion distant from nan declaration [on noncommunicable diseases], but we will ne'er locomotion distant from nan world aliases our committedness to extremity chronic disease." Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption

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Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Alison Cox was successful nan room connected Thursday erstwhile U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took nan mic — and proceeded to propulsion a monkeywrench into nan way of a highly-anticipated United Nations governmental declaration connected non-communicable diseases.

RFK Jr. said nan U.S. would "reject it."

"It's a monolithic disappointment to perceive a authorities measurement away," says Cox, nan argumentation head for NCD Alliance, a world defense group.

The declaration that was being considered astatine nan U.N. General Assembly successful New York is nan culmination of years of activity – and 5 months of general negotiations – by governments, wellness experts and members of civilian society. It lays retired a roadmap for preventing and controlling non-communicable diseases — for illustration cardiovascular diseases, glucosuria and crab — and promoting intelligence health.

RFK Jr. started his remarks by saying really overmuch he cares astir addressing these chronic diseases. He past proceeded to entity to nan U.N. declaration, saying: "The United States will locomotion distant from nan declaration, but we will ne'er locomotion distant from nan world aliases our committedness to extremity chronic disease."

"It exceeds nan U.N.'s due domiciled while ignoring nan astir pressing wellness issues," he added, though he did not elaborate connected what issues he had successful mind. HHS did not respond to questions NPR sent requesting an explanation.

He did opportunity that nan Trump management has concerns astir promoting "radical gender ideology" and abortion. However, nan U.N. declaration does not reside reproductive authorities aliases issues of gender identity.

Instead, nan attraction is connected nan 43 cardinal group who dice globally each twelvemonth from non-communicable diseases, including strokes and lung disease. Of that number 18 cardinal group dice earlier their 70th day and much than 80% of those premature deaths hap successful low- and middle-income countries.

The archive lays retired targets to beryllium achieved by 2030, including reducing nan number of baccy users by 150 million, enabling 150 cardinal much group to power their hypertension and expanding nan number of group pinch entree to intelligence wellness care.

Some countries and advocates person expressed concerns astir nan text, specified arsenic nan truth that nan archive does not talk sugary beverages contempt nan domiciled they play successful rising rates of puerility obesity.

However, location was wide support for moving nan declaration forward. In a statement connected Friday, nan World Health Organization (WHO) said "world leaders person expressed overwhelming support for nan text."

RFK Jr.'s rejection of nan governmental declaration is portion of a broader image successful which nan Trump management has been captious of WHO arsenic good arsenic different U.N. agencies. On inauguration night, nan management started nan process of withdrawing nan U.S. from nan world assemblage and Trump soon prevented immoderate U.S. wellness officials from communicating pinch WHO officials. RFK Jr. has besides taken an progressive domiciled successful world wellness decisions, including cutting disconnected funding for Gavi, nan Vaccine Alliance, calling retired their "safety issues" based connected a questionable study.

However, nan U.S. rejection of nan U.N. declaration is not a decease knell.

U.N. General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said nan archive will beryllium considered for last support by personnel states successful nan General Assembly successful October. Cox expects it will triumph wide support there.

"In nan end, nan remainder of nan governments will move guardant and enactment and return their committedness forward," she says. "There's a emotion of resoluteness not to fto this guidelines successful nan measurement of nan urgent action needed."