The Growing Danger of Non-Communicable Diseases: Acting Now to Reverse Course |  In a new report, the World Bank warns that heart disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory conditions, and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) increasingly threaten the health and economic security of many lower- and middle-income countries, and that most countries lack the money and health services to be able to ‘treat their way out’ of the NCD crisis. On the eve of a special UN summit on NCDs in New York, the Bank said the rise of chronic diseases, especially among young working adults in these countries, was a danger that warranted immediate global attention.
According to The Growing Danger of Non-Communicable Diseases: Acting Now to Reverse Course (PDF 524kb) Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia face alarming chronic disease levels, in excess of those in high-income countries where NCDs have long been the leading cause of death and illness. |
About Us The World Bank's commitment to achieving good health, nutrition and population outcomes, including its commitment to the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) and the adoption of a Poverty Reduction Strategy framework, underscores the importance of embracing principles and practices of public health. Effective public health interventions are directly related to achieving the MDGs. Public health knowledge, advisory services, and capacity building are key instruments for development effectiveness. The major public health functions which are discussed in the "Public Health and World Bank Operations" strategy note are: - policy development;
- creating and disseminating evidence for health policies, strategies and actions
- prevention and control of disease;
- multi-sectoral action for better health
- human resource development and capacity building
The roles of the public health team in the Bank are to: manage and disseminate knowledge on public health and public health functions; conduct analytic work related to public health functions; engage in global health initiatives that will help countries make measurable progress towards their HNP goals; build capacity for poverty reduction, and; improve Bank and client performance. |
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