Non-Communicable Diseases

Noncommunicable diseases (NCD) are not passed from person to person. They are typically of a long duration and progress slowly. The most common NCDs include cardiovascular diseases (such as heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma), and diabetes. NCDs share several common, modifiable risk factors – tobacco use, harmful alcohol use, physical inactivity, and unhealthy diet. Mitigating the effects of these common risk factors is critical to combatting NCDs worldwide.

Quick Facts About NCDs

• NCDs are the leading cause of death worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that NCDs account for 60% (more than 35 million) deaths annually.
• Roughly 80% of NCD related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where fragile health systems often struggle to meet the population’s most basic health needs.
• WHO estimates that 48% of NCD deaths in low- and middle-income countries occur before 70 years of age, compared with 26% in high-income countries.
• In 2012, all United Nations member countries committed to achieving a 25% reduction in premature mortality from NCDs by 2025 (the 25 x 25 target).

NCDs Are a Family Matter

The chronic nature of NCDs means patients are sick, suffer longer and require more medical care. Consequently, family members often have to care for loved ones who are unable to work due to illness or disability, resulting in additional lost productivity and wages. In 2011, the World Economic Forum estimated that the combined global economic impact of cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, cancer, diabetes, and mental health will be more than $47 trillion dollars over the next 20 years.

Our Work

PSI’s growing work in NCDs leverages over four decades of expertise in social marketing, as well as organizational strengths in social franchising, behavior change communications and service delivery.

PSI’s focal NCD health areas are cervical cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes in pregnancy and Type 2 diabetes. We recognize that the NCD spectrum is large and complex; therefore, we encourage our network members to develop NCD interventions aligned with country and region-specific priorities, disease burden, and the local context. Our technical teams work to share lessons learned, case studies and research findings across our network, and outward to the broader community of NCD stakeholders.

Effective prevention and control of NCDs will require sustained engagement across multiple sectors. Globally, our network members engage with policy makers, government leaders, academic institutions and other civil society organizations to increase awareness and shift policy and funding support for NCD control and prevention. PSI is a member of the NCD Roundtable as well as the Task Force on NCDs and Women.

• Technical Brief for the Integration of Menstrual Health in SRHR
  With this technical brief, which summarises existing literature as well as insights from PSI's network members, the authors hope to support the SRHR work in-country, providing a technical brief for integrating menstrual health in existing SRHR programs.
• Evaluating BP Outcomes Among Hypertensive Clients Diagnosed by Private Clinics in Vietnam
  PSI designed a BP Evaluation Study in Vietnam to document BP levels and retention in treatment among approximately 300 clients diagnosed with hypertension at private clinics trained by PSI
• Building Private Provider Networks to Bring Quality Health Services Closer to Underserved Communities
  In Vietnam, the private sector can be utilized to advance health care and services for lower income communities. PSI is using its provider network, including the private sector providers, to bring services to underserved areas.
• How PSI Generates Value for Money through Social Investments
  This 2-page brief describes the principles of cost-effectiveness, world-class financial management and risk reduction procedures that PSI uses to deliver cost-efficient impact for our partners.
• Non-Communicable Disease Life Course Pocket Cards
  At the 61st session of the UN"s Commission on the Status of Women, PSI and its partners on the Women and NCDs Task Force promoted a set of pocket cards illustrating a woman's risk for non-communicable diseases over the course of her lifetime.
• Insights and Lessons from the Pan American Social Marketing Organization’s (PASMO) Gestational Diabetes Project
  Diabetes in pregnancy is a neglected maternal health issue throughout Central America. PASMO is working with private sector health providers across multiple hospitals and satellite clinics in Managua, Nicaragua to offer prenatal clients access to testing, diagnosis and management for hyperglycaemia in pregnancy as part of a broader package of maternal health services.
• Translating Best Practices to Next Practices: A White Paper on Promising Practices in Management of Non-Communicable Diseases in India
  The burden of diabetes in India is increasing and was 69.2 million in 2015 according to the International Diabetes Federation. Over the last three years, CII-Lilly Non-Communicable Disease Summit has established itself as a strong brand in trying to play the role of a catalyst in improving the management of noncommunicable diseases in India. The current summit is the fourth in the series with the objective of revisiting and reviewing takeaways from the earlier three summits.
• National Strategic Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases: Trinidad and Tobago 2017-2021
  The National Strategic Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non Communicable Diseases (NSP NCD) outlines the strategic direction for the response to Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Trinidad and Tobago (TTO), and the strategic outcomes that partners from government, private sector, and civil society will be engaged to collaborate towards their achievement over the period 2017-2021.
• Cervical Cancer Screening and Prevention, and Barriers to Uptake: A Review of the Evidence
  This review explores cervical cancer screening methods and the barriers and facilitating factors to uptake of screening and treatment services in developing countries.
• Non-Communicable Disease Landscape Analysis Report
  

• Cat Normile
• Alexandra Angel
• Paul Blumenthal
• Heather White