Non-communicable diseases recognised as major cause of premature deaths in developing countries

By MediaGlobal

Diabetes and other NCDs are becoming a growing threat in developing countries, possibly due to a change in diet and lifestyle. (Photo credit:Creative Common)

11 March 2010 [MediaGlobal]: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as heart diseases, diabetes, cancer and respiratory diseases account for approximately 60 percent of deaths worldwide. According to the Global Health Council, in 2008, some 7.6 million people died from cancer worldwide, more than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. More than 70 percent of cancer deaths were in low and middle-income countries. Developing countries are more affected by NCDs than countries in the developed world, and it has been proven that NCDs further contribute to poverty in low and middle-income countries, as long-term illness can cause a family serious financial difficulty.

The first ever World Health Organization (WHO) forum on premature deaths due to non-communicable diseases took place on 24 February in Geneva, and was organized to address the global health crisis brought on by NCDs. Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO has said on the issue that diseases such as diabetes, that were traditionally associated with wealth, are now affecting underprivileged and disadvantaged groups more than ever. It is estimated that, if nothing is done to address the problem of premature deaths, then NCDs could increase by 24 percent in Africa and 23 percent in Asia by the year 2015.

Dr. Christopher Elias, president and CEO of PATH, an international nonprofit organization that works in over 70 countries worldwide to enable communities to break longstanding cycles of poor health, told MediaGlobal: “In the countries where PATH works, people are suffering unnecessarily and dying preventable, early deaths, due to chronic diseases. They do not have access to the basic services for screening and treatment we take for granted in the United States and other wealthy countries. We know from experience it is possible to develop life-saving technologies and approaches for low-income settings, and good partnerships are crucial.” Dr Elias has told MediaGlobal that PATH and WHO plan to collaborate in the future on developing sustainable, culturally-relevant solutions to tackling NCDs.

Jeffrey L. Sturchio, president and CEO of the Global Health Council, the world’s largest alliance of organizations and individuals working in global health, spoke toMediaGlobal about the burden of NCD’s: “The global health community is beginning to come to grips with the fact that the burden of non-communicable diseases is growing in both developed and developing countries. …The picture is equally stark for other chronic conditions, such as heart disease or diabetes. Dealing effectively with the prevention and control of non-communicable disease globally will require innovative strategies, increased awareness, shared knowledge, and a multisectoral approach.”

A network has been set up to tackle the problem and to focus on the prevention and management of NCD’s worldwide. According to the WHO, the network, called NCDNet, was established to tackle the issue of NCDs and consists of UN agencies, non-governmental organizations and UN member states. NCDNet aims to increase availability of resources and to promote global action to combat the rise of premature deaths due to NCDs. As Sturchio told MediaGlobal: “NCDNet is a timely and important initiative to bring interested stakeholders together in a learning network to contribute to sustainable solutions for these vital issues.” To learn more about NCDNet readers can go to:http://www.who.int/ncdnet/about/en/