New World Bank Report on Non-communicable Diseases
A new World Bank report warns that South Asian countries are facing a health crisis due to rising rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). NCDs disproportionately affect poor families, often lead to disability and premature death, and worsen poverty as people pay for medical treatment out of their own pockets.
Key Messages
- More than half of the disease burden in South Asia is attributable to NCDs.
- Tobacco use is the leading preventable risk factor for NCDs.
- Implementation of strong tobacco control policies is critical to reduce NCDs.
Additional Resources:
- To access fact sheets about the global burden of tobacco [English], use, visit: http://www.tobaccofreecenter.
org/files/pdfs/en/global_ tobacco_epidemic_en.pdf.
Full citation: Engelgau MM, El-Saharty S, Kudesia P, Rajan V, Rosenhouse S, Okamoto K. Capitalizing on the demographic transition: Tackling noncommunicable diseases in South Asia. The World Bank; 2011.
A link to the report [English only] can be found at: http://siteresources.
The World Bank is a source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. Established in 1944, its mission is to fight poverty by helping people to help themselves and their environment by providing resources, sharing knowledge, building capacity and forging partnerships in the public and private sectors.
If you have questions about the materials or how you can use them in your advocacy efforts, please email research@tobaccofreekids.org.
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