The WHO has made the target of reducing the deaths arising from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as a major initiative as it launched the first Global Status Report on Non-communicable Diseases in Moscow recently. NCDs refer to cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases.

According to WHO, NCDs killed tens of millions of people in 2008, and a large proportion of these deaths occurred before the age of 60. In 2008, 63% of deaths were due to NCDs, and 80% of NCD-related deaths occur in low-and middle-income countries. The report (see here) points out in particular the use of tobacco, insufficient physical activity, harmful use of alcohol, and unhealthy diet as risk factors for NCDs.

WHO also urges all member countries to take actions, among which is to protect people from tobacco smoke, ban smoking in public places, enforce bans on tobacco and alcohol advertising, raise taxes on tobacco, restrict access to retailed alcohol, reduce salt intake and salt content of food, replace trans-fat in food with polyunsaturated fat, and promote public awareness about diet and physical activity. The report also emphasises the importance of vaccination.

WHO Director General, Dr. Margaret Chen, in her opening address (full text here) emphasized the damaging health effects of tobacco smoking and the scale of damage to health attributed to tobacco. She further stressed that implementing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control could avert some 5.5 million deaths each year at minimal cost!

**********