Non-communicable diseases must have greater priority, says WHO

The World Health Organization has launched a new global initiative to try to ensure that non-communicable diseases urgently get given much greater priority in the health and development policies of poor nations and on global aid agendas.

At present non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and chronic lung disease are responsible for about 35 million deaths each year, or 60% of all deaths worldwide, says WHO. Of these, 80% occur in low and middle income nations.

All four diseases share the same risk factors: tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, and harmful use of alcohol, say WHO experts.

The agency predicts that percentage increases in mortality from non-communicable diseases will reach double digits in the coming years, thus …