NCD Alliance

Tobacco control is key to addressing NCDs Tobacco use is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including heart disease and cancer, as well as chronic respiratory disease. With the World Health Organization’s World Health Statistics 2011 showing that 4 in 10 men and 1 in 11 women use tobacco, tobacco control is a top priority for reversing the epidemic of NCDs, especially in low-income countries where both tobacco use and NCDs are increasing.

Some 47 countries and 16 representatives of intergovernmental and civil society organizations spoke on the resolution on 21 May 2011. The resolution urges Member States to prepare for the UN General Assembly High-level Meeting on NCDs and be represented at the heads of state and government level. The resolution called for addressing the NCDs challenge through an action-oriented outcome document.

This year’s observance of World No Tobacco Day falls in the midst of preparations for September’s United Nations high-level meeting on non-communicable diseases. By controlling tobacco, we can go a long way towards addressing many of these chronic ailments, including cancer and heart disease. The use of tobacco, which is highly addictive, killed approximately 100 million people in the twentieth century, and unless we act, it could kill up to a billion in this century.

GENEVA, 13 May 2011 -- An increasing number of countries are facing a double burden of disease as the prevalence of risk factors for chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart diseases and cancers increase and many countries still struggle to reduce maternal and child deaths caused by infectious diseases, for the Millennium Development Goals, according to the World Health Statistics 2011 released by the World Health Organization (WHO) today.

Getting asthma onto the global agenda for health and poverty reduction Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world, currently affecting an estimated 300 million people worldwide. It has been identified as a major global public health problem and international guidelines exist. However, in low- and middle-income countries, where the majority of the world's asthmatics live, most cases of asthma are undiagnosed, untreated or mismanaged.

Moscow - Noncommunicable diseases are the leading killer today and are on the increase, the first WHO Global status report on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) launched today confirms. In 2008, 36.1 million people died from conditions such as heart disease, strokes, chronic lung diseases, cancers and diabetes. Nearly 80% of these deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries. Noncommunicable diseases a two-punch blow to development

Patient advocates have called for greater involvement in the design and delivery of strategies to prevent and manage non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and chronic diseases, at the International Alliance of Patients' Organizations (IAPO) African Regional Network Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa. The meeting was held with the support of two South African patient groups: the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) and the Patients' Health Alliance of NGOs (PHANGO).

Last week IDF, one of the founding federations of the NCD Alliance, launched an Advocacy Toolkit for the UN Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). ‘Calling the World to Action on Diabetes – An Advocacy Toolkit’ aims to bridge global to local diabetes advocacy through information, guidance and key tools and resources.