Description
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are responsible for over half of all deaths in low- or middle-income countries. Cardiovascular diseases, cancers, respiratory and digestive diseases and diabetes take their toll not only in mortality but in the resources patients need as they seek treatment, often over a very long period. This report, which is directed at national and international policy makers, seeks to identify ways to reduce the incidence of NCDs worldwide, particularly in nations without the financial and medical resources necessary to prevent or treat their own population in the long term. It focuses on ways to receive better value for money given that the rate of NCDs will surely not decline in the coming decades, advocates preparing NCD policies that will reduce incidence and better allocate resources, and gives an agenda for the World Bank to follow in supporting intervention. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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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 healtlh 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.
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