UN non-communicable diseases plan: US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Washington will not back a United Nations political declaration on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), arguing the document “pushes destructive gender ideology” and overlooks more urgent health priorities.
The World Health Organization (WHO) describes the declaration as a “new, ambitious and achievable” roadmap to prevent and control NCDs and promote mental health through 2030 and beyond. Despite US objections, the 15-page text is expected to win approval next month from a majority of the WHO’s 193 member states.
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“The declaration exceeds the UN’s proper role while ignoring the most pressing health issues,” Kennedy told a high-level meeting. “We cannot accept language that pushes destructive gender ideology. Neither can we accept claims of a constitutional or international right to abortion.”
A copy of the text seen by AFP does not reference abortion rights or “gender ideology.”
Kennedy said the United States would “walk away from the declaration,” while maintaining its commitment to tackling chronic diseases.
The US stance comes amid broader policy shifts, including a previously announced US withdrawal from the WHO signed early in President Donald Trump’s second term and domestic moves to restrict Covid-19 shots, halt federal grants for mRNA research, and revisit vaccine policies. Earlier this week, Trump urged pregnant women to avoid acetaminophen (Tylenol) and called for major changes to infant vaccination schedules, claims the WHO countered, saying neither Tylenol nor vaccines have been shown to cause autism.
