Introduction to Non Communicable Diseases
Today, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), mainly cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes represent a leading threat to human health and development. These four diseases are the world’s biggest killers, causing an estimated 35 million deaths each year - 60% of all deaths globally - with 80% in low- and middle-income countries.
These diseases are preventable. Up to 80% of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes and over a third of cancers could be prevented by eliminating shared risk factors, mainly tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol.
Unless addressed, the mortality and disease burden from these health problems will continue to increase. WHO projects that, globally, NCD deaths will increase by 17% over the next ten years. The greatest increase will be seen in the African region (27%) and the Eastern Mediterranean region (25%). The highest absolute number of deaths will occur in the Western Pacifi c and South-East Asia regions.
We have the right vision and knowledge to address these problems. Proven cost-effective strategies exist to prevent and control this growing burden. However, high-level commitment and concrete action are often missing at the national level. NCD prevention and control programmes remain dramatically under-funded at the national and global levels and have been left off the global development agenda. Despite impacting the poorest people in low-income parts of the world and imposing a heavy burden on socioeconomic development, NCD prevention is currently absent from the Millennium Development Goals. However, in all lowand middle-income countries and by any measure, NCDs account for a large enough share of the disease burden of the poor to merit a serious policy response.
Working closely with Member States, WHO has, therefore, developed this Action Plan to prevent NCDs from occurring and to help the millions who are already
affected
These diseases are preventable. Up to 80% of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes and over a third of cancers could be prevented by eliminating shared risk factors, mainly tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol.
Unless addressed, the mortality and disease burden from these health problems will continue to increase. WHO projects that, globally, NCD deaths will increase by 17% over the next ten years. The greatest increase will be seen in the African region (27%) and the Eastern Mediterranean region (25%). The highest absolute number of deaths will occur in the Western Pacifi c and South-East Asia regions.
We have the right vision and knowledge to address these problems. Proven cost-effective strategies exist to prevent and control this growing burden. However, high-level commitment and concrete action are often missing at the national level. NCD prevention and control programmes remain dramatically under-funded at the national and global levels and have been left off the global development agenda. Despite impacting the poorest people in low-income parts of the world and imposing a heavy burden on socioeconomic development, NCD prevention is currently absent from the Millennium Development Goals. However, in all lowand middle-income countries and by any measure, NCDs account for a large enough share of the disease burden of the poor to merit a serious policy response.
Working closely with Member States, WHO has, therefore, developed this Action Plan to prevent NCDs from occurring and to help the millions who are already
affected