NCDNet Global Forum

Meeting stresses prevention and NCD burden in developing countries

The first Global Forum of the Non-communicable Disease Network (NCDnet) met in Geneva on 24 February to draw up plans to face the challenges posed by non-communicable diseases. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan, speaking at the forum, said ‘Cardiovascular disease, cancers, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, and mental disorders now impose their greatest burden on low- and middle-income countries. Diseases once associated with abundance are now heavily concentrated in poor and disadvantaged groups. Developing countries have the greatest vulnerability and the least resilience.’

There was a strong focus on prevention of premature deaths from non-communicable diseases by cutting tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol. However, despite the often preventable nature of these diseases, the World Health Organization (WHO) forecasts that their mortality rate will rise by 17 per cent over the next five years, with the greatest increase in Africa (24 per cent) and the Eastern Mediterranean (23 per cent).

Source: WHO NCDNet First Global Forum. 24 February 2010.

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