NCD Prevention Strategies

• NCDs stand for Noncommunicable Diseases
• There are prevention strategies for NCDs.

Components of NCD prevention strategies

• Can include small & large-scale human cooperation

Aim of NCD prevention strategies

• To address why preventing NCDs is important
• NCDs directly impact the rate of national income
• Inability to work and frequent absence leads to productivity loss on a large scale.
• NCDs threaten the national economy.

Levels of prevention

• The management to prevent NCDs is based on risk factor management

• It will address the issues on 4 levels:

• Global

• Country

• Society

• Individual

• Actions include:

• Resource allocation

• Multi-sectoral partnership

• Knowledge and information management and innovations

• Lifestyle management at the individual level is the most critical part of the prevention strategy

• At the Global level, develop a health strategy

• At a Country level, take health policy decisions

• In society, focus on actions through innovation, helping with risk factor awareness management

• Leadership is underscored in the change management process required for new approaches to NCD prevention

Prevention & Control of NCDs

Global Level (WHO, UN)

• Design national policies and plans
• Monitor NCDs
• Support national and international partnerships for NCD prevention & control.
• Support & encourage research for NCDs prevention and control

Country Level

• Improve budgetary allocations to support primary health care systems
• Engage in collaborative partnerships for implementation of an action plan against NCDs with:
• Nongovernmental organizations
• Research institutions
• Private sector
• Develop continuous quality improvement systems focused on primary health care for NCD prevention & management

Society Level

• This can include schools, universities, and non-governmental agencies
• Offer new resources from health-related non-governmental organizations to support services for NCD prevention & control, treatment and care.
• Offer healthy food in the workplace
• Offer opportunities for physical activity in the workplace for all ages

Individual Level

• Follow a healthy lifestyle

Global Initiatives to Deal with NCDs

• There are a few global initiatives that are key to managing NCDs

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• Include the aim to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by one-third by 2030.

WHO Global Action Plan for Prevention & Control of NCDs 2013–2020

• Intends to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by 25% by 2025.

WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

• Aims to reduce tobacco consumption and related harm to health

United Nations High-Level Meeting on NCDs

• Held in 2018
• Focused on accelerating NCD prevention & control
• Called for increased political commitment & action.

The NCD Alliance

• A global network of civil society organizations for NCD prevention & control
• Advocates for policy change & increased investment

Global Level Actions

• Economics & Finance support
• Strengthening health systems
• Technology solutions
• Communication & behavioral science
• Evidence generation
• Policy & Program design & implementation
• Formative research
• Program evaluation

National Level Actions

Public health interventions

• Policy interventions → Enabling environment (Financial, Social, Physical)
• Educational interventions → Health beliefs & behaviors (Community; Individual)
• Both lead to desired change

National Preventive Strategies

• Health promotion, primary prevention (includes behavioral and structural prevention)
• Promote healthy eating, physical activity and healthy local environments
• Strengthen tobacco & alcohol prevention and facilitate healthy choices
• Self-management, health literacy
• Support people to learn more about their chronic condition & its management.
• Improve access to structured self-management programs.
• Strengthen (mental) health literacy.
• Early detection, screening
• Promote health checks
• Develop & disseminate evidence-based practice recommendations for early detection of risk factors
• Disease management, integrated care
• Develop integrated pathways between primary & secondary care
• Implement concepts for patient-centered, coordinated care
• Ensure effective transfer, discharge & referral pathways between health care services

Target Group Specific Measures

• Integrate target-group oriented measures for each age group
• Address the specific needs of vulnerable groups
• Ensure equity of access for all groups

Activities Outside the Health Care Sector

• Promote further implementation of tobacco control measures
• Further develop cooperation with the economy & facilitate healthy choices
• Target multiple settings like schools, workplaces and communities

Digital Technologies

• Adapt offers in the areas of:
• Patient education
• Self-management
• Self-help
• Taking into account modern technologies to support access to telemedicine consultations
• WHO package of essential noncommunicable (PEN) disease interventions for primary health care