NCD Alliance

The following news story was published in the Sri Lanka Daily News:

The government always stands to safeguard and strengthen the free health service while implementing qualitative and timely measures such as free education, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.

The theme of this year’s World Health Day is healthy ageing. With data showing that the major causes of premature death and years lost to disability in people aged 60 years and over are non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the NCD Alliance* says that dropping key targets on NCDs will put the health of the world’s ageing population at risk.

This week marks the six month anniversary of the UN High-Level Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

New research published in The Lancet analyses cancer death rates across India, and shows that oral, stomach, and lung cancers are important causes of death in Indian men, while cervical, stomach, and breast cancers cause the most cancer deaths among Indian women.

News Release by World Action on Salt and Health (WASH)

World Salt Awareness Week 2012 will focus on salt reduction and the prevention of stroke. The week will run from 26 March-1 April.

Worldwide 3 million women and 2.5 million men die from stroke every year.

23 March 2012 / Paris – Close to 366 million people worldwide are at increased risk for developing active tuberculosis (TB) disease – and they may not know it. They are part of the rapidly growing population with diabetes mellitus (DM), which is expected to reach 552 million by 2030. This link between DM and TB threatens public health efforts, according to The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) and the World Diabetes Foundation, who are calling for greater awareness of this new co-epidemic on World TB Day, 24 March 2012.

Progress to date includes 1.2 billion people protected by effective tobacco control policies in 30 countries

Michael R. Bloomberg announced today that he will commit an additional $220 million to fight tobacco use around the world and stem this growing global public health crisis, bringing his total commitment to more than $600 million.  The announcement was made at the 15th World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Singapore.

A diet high in red meat can shorten life expectancy, according to researchers at Harvard Medical School. The study of more than 120,000 people suggested red meat increased the risk of death from cancer and heart problems.

Substituting red meat with fish, chicken or nuts lowered the risks, the authors said. The British Heart Foundation said red meat could still be eaten as part of a balanced diet.

The researchers analysed data from 37,698 men between 1986 and 2008 and 83,644 women between 1980 and 2008.

15 March 2012

Tobacco use is responsible for five million or 12 per cent of all deaths of adults above the age of 30 globally each year, according to a United Nations report unveiled today, that for the first time provides estimated mortality rates attributable to tobacco for 2004, the year before the international treaty on tobacco came into force.

Contribution to consultations on proposals for global monitoring framework and targets for NCDs
10 February 2012

Download the full PDF statement here.

Five months ago, 193 UN Member States unanimously adopted the Political Declaration on NCDs. The Declaration signals a new era for NCDs, providing consensus on what is causing the NCD epidemic and what must be done to reverse it, and when.