In a commentary published on November 21, 2007 in the British journal Nature, a master plan was unveiled by international health experts aiming to avert at least 36 million premature deaths worldwide from 'lifestyle' diseases by 2015.
It is expected that some 388 million people around the world, 80 percent of them come from poorer nations, will die over the next decade from non-communicable diseases if people preserve the current unhealthy lifestyle.
Based on the WHO (World Health Organization) data, 44 percent of the premature deaths will originate from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, lung disease and some cancers. This is twice as many as from all infectious diseases combined. The prevention of disability and death from chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCDs), however, is not receiving sufficient attention.
The researchers felt that by changing behavior and access to known drug treatments, most of the diseases targeted by the initiative could actually be avoided. For example, 17 million of the deaths that could be averted through the recommended measures would be among people under 70 years old. The initiative is supported by members of the Oxford Health Alliance, including the UK Medical Research Council, the Indian Council of Medical Research, and the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Smoking, sedentary lifestyle and obesity are identified as the top culprits, but longer lifespan also play a role in some of the diseases.
Using the model on the Grand Challenges in Global Health programme targeting infectious disease, spearheaded in 2003 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the new 'Grand Challenges' effort lists 20 policy and research priorities to reduce the number of death from CNCDs.
Some of the recommendations include:
It is expected that some 388 million people around the world, 80 percent of them come from poorer nations, will die over the next decade from non-communicable diseases if people preserve the current unhealthy lifestyle.
Based on the WHO (World Health Organization) data, 44 percent of the premature deaths will originate from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, lung disease and some cancers. This is twice as many as from all infectious diseases combined. The prevention of disability and death from chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCDs), however, is not receiving sufficient attention.
The researchers felt that by changing behavior and access to known drug treatments, most of the diseases targeted by the initiative could actually be avoided. For example, 17 million of the deaths that could be averted through the recommended measures would be among people under 70 years old. The initiative is supported by members of the Oxford Health Alliance, including the UK Medical Research Council, the Indian Council of Medical Research, and the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Smoking, sedentary lifestyle and obesity are identified as the top culprits, but longer lifespan also play a role in some of the diseases.
Using the model on the Grand Challenges in Global Health programme targeting infectious disease, spearheaded in 2003 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the new 'Grand Challenges' effort lists 20 policy and research priorities to reduce the number of death from CNCDs.
Some of the recommendations include:
- Raising the 'political priority' of CNCDs and promoting healthy lifestyles;
- Strengthening regulations to discourage consumption of tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy foods;
- Developing codes to monitor responsible conduct in the food, beverage and restaurant industries;
- Studies that explore the links between CNCDs, poverty and urbanisation;
- Redistributing health care resources based on burden of diseases;
- Putting a big emphasis on prevention.
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