Guidance note on the integration of noncommunicable diseases into the United Nations development assistance framework

Overview

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) – cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancers, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes – make the largest contribution to mortality in the majority of developing countries and require concerted, coordinated action. These diseases are largely preventable by means of effective interventions that tackle shared risk factors, namely tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol. NCDs have significant negative impacts on human and social development. Premature deaths from NCDs reduce productivity, curtail economic growth and trap populations in poverty. The underlying determinants of these diseases and their shared risk factors mean that multisectoral, whole-of-government and whole-of-society responses are required to prevent and control NCDs.