Seven Things You Can Do To Get Involved
1. O is for Outrage
The lack of recognition of NCDs as a development issue and a major cause of poverty is an outrage. NCDs cause 35 million deaths each year. 8 million of these deaths occur prematurely (below the age of 60) in low-and middle-income countries.
NCDs are not diseases of affluence. Help us spread the message.
2. Become an advocate for NCDs
Take the first steps to becoming a vocal advocate for NCDs by reading the World Health Organization's 'Stop the Global Epidemic of Chronic Disease: A practical guide to successful advocacy' [link:http://www.who.int/entity/chp/advocacy/chp.manual.EN-webfinal.pdf]. A variety of supporting materials are available to assist you, including posters [link:http://www.who.int/chp/advocacy/posters/en/index.html], information sheets [link:http://www.who.int/chp/chronic_disease_report/information_sheets/en/inde... and media briefs. [link:http://www.who.int/entity/chp/advocacy/MediaFeatures_EN_web.pdf]. Join up with local and national NCD advocates for maximum impact.
3. Stay informed
Stay updated on the latest NCD campaigns and news updates by signing up to our newsletter (link). Visit the key organizations page (link) to find out what other global organizations committed to addressing NCDs and their risk factors are doing.
4. Join a local or national NCD organization
IDF, UICC, WHF and The Union's member associations are the national focal points for non-communicable diseases. Join one of these associations and get involved in the movement to make non-communicable diseases a global priority. A list of our member organizations can be found here (link).
5. Write to your government
The support of your government is essential to ensuring that NCDs stay on the international agenda.
Write a letter to your government leaders requesting their support for the campaign to make NCDs a global development priority. Template letters can be found here (link).
6. Hold an
event to raise awareness Support our campaign by organizing a local or national event to raise awareness of the global NCD burden and the need for action.
Contact us (link) or one of our national member associations to keep us updated on your progress.
7. Submit your news and events
Reach out to the NCD community by sharing your updates with other advocates working on non-communicable disease. Send us your news items and/or events (link).