13 November 2013 -- The global burden and threat of NCDs constitutes a major public health challenge that undermines social and economic development throughout the world, and inter alia has the effect of increasing inequalities between countries and within populations. As requested by the World Health Assembly in resolution WHA64.11, the Secretariat has developed a draft "Global action plan for the prevention and control of NCDs for the period 2013–2020", building on what has already been achieved through the implementation of the 2008–2013 action plan.