Noncommunicable Disease And Poverty

Based on a review of available literature, this monograph explores the links between poverty and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) with particular reference to the Western Pacific Region. The project was specifically designed to stimulate discussion on the relationship between poverty and NCDs, to contribute to the reduction of the impact of NCDs in developing countries, and to foster an understanding of how to improve health outcomes for the poor or socially marginalized groups with NCDs.

This global status report on prevention and control of NCDs (2014), is framed around the nine voluntary global targets. The report provides data on the current situation, identifying bottlenecks as well as opportunities and priority actions for attaining the targets. The 2010 baseline estimates on NCD mortality and risk factors are provided so that countries can report on progress, starting in 2015. In addition, the report also provides the latest available estimates on NCD mortality (2012) and risk factors, 2010-2012. All ministries of health need to set national NCD targets and lead the development and implementation of policies and interventions to attain them. There is no single pathway to attain NCD targets that fits all countries, as they are at different points in their progress in the prevention and control of NCDs and at different levels of socioeconomic development. However all countries can benefit from the comprehensive response to attaining the voluntary global targets presented in this report.--Publisher description.

This publication is part of a series which examines the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of health policies and programmes, focusing on the multidimensional aspects of poverty and gender-based disparities. The series is designed for use in the training of health professionals, as well as a reference document for policy-makers and programme managers. This module focuses on poverty and gender concern in the prevention, treatment and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and aims to improve the awareness, knowledge and skills of health professionals of NCDs in developing countries. It is divided into six sections and issues discussed include: the distribution of NCDs globally and within the Western Pacific Region; the links between poverty, gender and NCDs; human rights issues; good practices in prevention, treatment and control; notes for facilitators; and information on tools and other resources.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are by far the major cause of death in lower-middle, upper-middle, and high-income countries; by 2015, they will also be the leading cause of death in low-income countries. In addition to mortality, NCDs account for nearly half of the disease burden measured in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in low- and middle-income countries, and large increases in NCD-related DALYs are projected. Addressing this challenge will require policy makers to design and implement economic, health, and social policies to address the links between NCDs and poverty and to minimize the health and economic losses among the population. Public Policy and the Challenge of Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases provides a framework that policy makers can use to formulate their strategies. The authors point out that the most effective policy response will be twofold: to develop programs to avoid the looming NCD burden of disease to the extent possible-for example, through public health interventions and improved health care-and simultaneously to prepare to address the health system and economic pressures that will arise from the increase in NCDs due to the aging of populations. This book will be of interest to governments, international organizations, universities, and research institutions focusing on health care, economic policy, public health, and poverty reduction strategies. Book jacket.

A majority of people living in rural areas and urban slums worldwide have minimal access to healthcare. Without information about what to give a child with stomach flu, how to relieve the pain of a broken bone, and how to work against increased substance abuse in a village, the whole community suffers. Children, adolescents, adults, and older people are all affected by the lack of what many of us view as basic healthcare, such as vaccination, pain killers, and contraceptives. To improve living conditions and life expectancy, the people in urban slums and rural areas need access to a trained health care worker, and a functioning clinic. Setting up Community Health and Development Programmes in Low and Middle Income Settings illustrates how to start, develop, and maintain a health care programme in poor areas across the world. The focus is on the community, and how people can work together to improve health through sanitation, storage of food, fresh water, and more. Currently, there is a lack of 17 million trained health care workers worldwide. Bridging the gap between medical professionals and people in low income areas, the aim of this book is for a member of the community to receive training and become the health care worker in their village. They will then in turn spread information and set up groups working to improve health. The book also explains in detail how communities can work alongside experts to ensure that practices and processes work effectively to bring the greatest impact. Copiously illustrated and written in easy-to-read English, this practical guide is designed to be extremely user friendly. Ideal for academics, students, programme managers, and health care practitioners in low and middle income settings worldwide, it is an evidence based source full of examples from the field. Setting up Community Health and Development Programmes in Low and Middle Income Settings shows how a community can both identify and solve its own problems, and in that way own its future. This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC 4.0 International licence.

There is growing interest and concern about the unacceptable differentials in health between and within countries. This comes out of the realization that poor people will only be able to prosper, and emerge from poverty, if they enjoy better health. Healthy populations are a precondition for sustainable development. Using a novel combination of the personal studies of patients and description of conditions or diseases, this book provides a highly original and accessible introduction to key issues in global health today. Especially during the past decade, global health initiatives have become a prominent part of the international aid picture, bringing new resources, political commitment, and more attention for international health issues in the media. The author provides examples of diseases and problems related to health that disproportionally impact the poor, and gives their experiences 'a human face' through individual case studies. A specific case study of a health problem, such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV or health financing, introduces each chapter and is followed by a historical review of the problem, why it is still now a problem for poor people or poor countries, and what can be done about it. These will inspire the reader to become more engaged with international health and development.

In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.

Rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in low- and middle-income countries are increasing faster, in younger people, and with worse outcomes than in wealthier countries. In 2013 alone, NCDs killed eight million people before their sixtieth birthdays in developing countries. A new CFR-sponsored Independent Task Force report and accompanying interactive look at the factors behind this epidemic and the ways the United States can best fight it.

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>