Noncommunicable Diseases

Global Handbook on Noncommunicable Diseases and Health Promotion David V. McQueen, editor A scan of health challenges around the globe readily brings to mind a range of infectious illnesses, from HIV to influenza. Yet chronic non-contagious conditions--heart disease, asthma, diabetes, cancer--are more prevalent, and their rates soaring, across the developed and developing worlds. The Global Handbook on Noncommunicable Diseases and Health Promotion is an important resource for understanding and approaching chronic illnesses and their prevention. This timely text balances theory and strategies to provide an integrative context for health-affecting behaviors regarding tobacco use, food choices, and physical activity. Coverage expands on current medical/clinical public health perspectives, arguing that closer attention to social context is crucial to better use of health resources and more relevant preventive efforts. Possible roles for hospitals, the workplace, government agencies, NGOs, and other institutions are analyzed, as is the potential for addressing larger underlying health factors (e.g., inequities and poverty) at the societal level. Topics covered include: The nature of causality: beyond traditional evidence Learning from the social sciences in chronic disease health promotion Contextual factors in health and illness Understanding and applying a social determinants of health framework for addressing NCDs Public health, NCDs, health promotion and business partnering NCDs and civil society: a history and a roadmap As the authors of the Global Handbook on Noncommunicable Diseases and Health Promotion make abundantly clear, opportunities are as numerous as the issues, and researchers and graduate students in global public health, health promotion, and chronic disease epidemiology will find these chapters positive and realistic.p>

A comprehensive text book by Wolters Kluwer Lippincott covering all key features that are very helpful for the medical students.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide, contributing to over 73% of all deaths annually. Each day NCDs cause more than 100,000 deaths, 80% of which occur in low- and middle-income countries. NCDs, however, are largely preventable, and a great deal of technical knowledge exists about how to prevent and manage them. Why, then, have we, as a global community, not been more successful at reducing this NCD burden? Does a universal problem not have a universal solution?Created by an international consortium of experts, this informative and accessible book provides practical guidelines, key learning points, and dynamic, real-world case studies to aid NCD program managers, policy officers and decision-makers in low- and middle-income countries, so that they can assess interventions for the prevention and control of NCDs.The book was commissioned by the Prince Mahidol Award Conference (PMAC), an annual international conference centred on policy of global significance related to public health. Non-Communicable Disease Prevention: Best Buys, Wasted Buys and Contestable Buys emphasises the importance of context in NCD control and prevention, arguing that the success of an intervention lies in an ability to respond to local needs and environments. The book comprises ten chapters, which collectively explore the reasons behind, and strategies for, preventing and managing the NCD burden. It spans key themes such as political economy, the transferability of economic evidence, the role of cross-sectoral policies, the importance of deliberative processes, and health technology assessment.This book is written for the benefit of the global health community, and is primarily targeted at those individuals who are involved in NCD programs. This book will also be of interest to NCD champions, policy advocates, and educators spearheading the movement for increased visiblity of NCDs. This work was published by Saint Philip Street Press pursuant to a Creative Commons license permitting commercial use. All rights not granted by the work's license are retained by the author or authors.

This review focuses on national and subnational Mediterranean diet (MD) and Nordic diet (ND) interventions and policies in the WHO European Region. In the context of increasing noncommunicable disease (NCD) burden and unhealthy diets, there is a need to continue identifying optimal, evidence-informed diets and interventions for the prevention and control of NCDs. The MD and ND have been identified as region-specific healthy diets. To support decision-makers in shaping context-specific diet and nutrition policies, this review provides a summary of the NCD burden and activities in the Region; outlines the NCD-related health benefits of the MD and ND; describes interventions and policies in 15 countries; reviews four identified studies into the effectiveness of MD and ND policies on NCD outcomes; and discusses policy implications and options. In the context of MD and ND interventions for NCDs, there remains a Region-wide need to increase translation of evidence into action, monitor and evaluate the impact of existing policies on NCD outcomes and share activities through public platforms to support information sharing.

"This companion guide to Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries, 2nd edition speeds the diffusion of life-saving knowledge by distilling the contents of the larger volume into an easily read format. Policy makers, practitioners, academics, and other interested readers will get an overview of the messages and analysis in Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries, 2nd edition; be alerted to the scope of major diseases; learn strategies to improve policies and choices to implement cost-effective interventions; and locate chapters of immediate interest."

Presents a pragmatic agenda for achieving effective and sustainable global action on noncommunicable diseases in lower- and middle-income countries. Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)—including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma and other chronic respiratory conditions, and cancers—are the leading causes of death worldwide. An estimated 36 million people die from such diseases each year; this represents roughly two out of three deaths globally. Eighty percent of these fatalities occur in developing countries. The statistics are staggering, yet millions of these deaths are preventable. This is an urgent global health issue that demands analysis of gaps in NCD research, new policies and practices, and actionable recommendations to close the gaps. The Johns Hopkins Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health, and the Study of Business Enterprise convened an NCD Working Group of leading scholars to examine a wide range of issues that both the private and public sectors must address to make sustainable progress in NCD prevention and treatment in lower- and middle-income countries. Collected in this volume are essays on five key areas where strengthened policies and health systems can have the most impact in the near future. • Accelerating regulatory harmonization • Structuring supply chains • Improving access to interventions • Restructuring primary care • Promoting multisectoral and intersectoral action While there is a growing literature on the problem of NCDs, none of the available studies provides background on the range of challenges matched with specific steps that can be taken by the public sector, private sector, and civil society working together. Noncommunicable Diseases in the Developing World presents a framework for understanding the salience of specific policy recommendations and detailed steps that can be taken now to move forward in the global campaign against NCDs. This book will be of interest to practitioners, scholars, and students in public health as well as those framing and implementing health policies in the private and public sectors.

This volume provides a comprehensive overview on developmental origins of health and disease regarding various factors related to the origins of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) from early life. It offers a summary of the impacts of various factors such as epigenetics; gene-environment interaction; ethnic predisposition to NCDs and their risk factors; prenatal factors; fetal programming; maternal weight status and weight gain during pregnancy; type of feeding during infancy; growth pattern during childhood; obesity; stunting; socioeconomic status; dietary and physical activity habits; as well as environmental factors including air pollution and global climate change on the development and progress of NCDs.

Cardiovascular, respiratory, and related conditions cause more than 40 percent of all deaths globally, and their substantial burden is rising, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Their burden extends well beyond health effects to include significant economic and societal consequences. Most of these conditions are related, share risk factors, and have common control measures at the clinical, population, and policy levels. Lives can be extended and improved when these diseases are prevented, detected, and managed. This volume summarizes current knowledge and presents evidence-based interventions that are effective, cost-effective, and scalable in LMICs.