- Reset +

Evelin Ilves is one of the opening speakers at the WHO Ministerial conference on noncommunicable diseases

02.12.2013

Tomorrow, Evelin Ilves will be one of the opening speakers at the WHO European Ministerial Conference on the Prevention and Control Noncommunicable Diseases in the Context of Health 2020 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

The representatives of the 53 European region member states of the World Health Organisation (WHO) will focus on three key issues - the correlation between noncommunicable diseases and economic development, ending the consumption of tobacco in Europe and the best way to utilise the possibilities of health care systems to prevent and make check-ups on noncommunicable diseases.

Estonia is also represented at the conference by the Minister of Social Affairs Taavi Rõivas.

Evelin Ilves was invited to speak at the Ashgabat conference by the regional director of WHO Zsuzsanna Jakab, when she visited Estonia in October.

Noncommunicable diseases are cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, malignant tumours and chronic respiratory diseases that are closely linked to unhealthy eating habits, lack of exercise, smoking and alcohol abuse.

At their meeting in Tallinn, Evelin Ilves and the regional director of WHO, Zsuzsanna Jakab, noted that in preventing noncommunicable diseases, it is equally important for the state to provide support and intervene efficiently as well as there being an understanding in society of what people can and should do for their health and that of their loved ones; it is important that politicians, including heads of state, set a personal example on how to make changes for the sake of health.

Office of the President
Public Relations Department
Phone +372 631 6229