Prioritizing a preventable epidemic : a primer for the media of noncommunicable diseases

Overview

In hospitals and homes across the globe, NCD is making an alarming presence. Today, the major NCD – cardiovascular disease (including heart disease and stroke), diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory disease – are the leading causes of death and disability in almost all countries. These are not “diseases of affluence” plaguing wealthy nations, but an escalating crisis for Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC).