Global Report on Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases and WHO Collaborating Centre For Community-based Interventions Launch in China

Global Report on Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases and WHO Collaborating Centre For Community-based Interventions Launch in China

May 09, 2006

    BEIJING, May 9 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The Ministry of
Health, China and World Health Organization today launch
the Chinese version of the WHO global report, Preventing
chronic diseases: a vital investment and a WHO
Collaborating Centre for Community based Integrated
Noncommunicable Disease (NCD) Control and Prevention.

    The WHO global report makes the case for urgent action
to halt and turn back the growing threat of chronic
diseases.  It presents a state-of-art guide to effective
and feasible interventions and provides practical
suggestions for how countries can implement these
interventions to respond successfully to the growing
epidemic.  "Without action, almost 400 million people
will die from chronic diseases in the next 10 years. Many
of these deaths will occur prematurely, affecting families,
communities and countries alike" said Dr. Catherine Le
Gal?s-Camus, WHO Assistant Director-General for
Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health.

    The report focuses on prevention of major chronic
conditions, primarily heart disease, stroke, cancer,
asthma, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes.  It
features a selection of nine countries, including China,
which was done on the basis of the size of their chronic
disease burden, quality and reliability of available data,
and lessons learnt from previous prevention and control
experiences.

    Like many developing and developed countries around the
world, China is facing significant health challenges, not
just with infectious diseases but now with the double
burden of chronic disease.  Over three hundred million of
adult males smoke cigarettes; 160 million adults are now
hypertensive.

    Chronic noncommunicable diseases now account for an
estimated 80% of total deaths in China.  There are growing
problems with obesity, with more than 20% of 7--17 year old
children in urban centres tipping the scales as either
overweight or obese.  These risk factors will cause an
unacceptable number of people to die prematurely and often
after years of needless suffering and disability, and
tragically, so many who have recently escaped poverty will
be plunged back, due to the burden of health care costs.

    In China, WHO estimates an economic loss of 550 billion
US dollars over the next 10 years, due to effects of heart
disease, stroke and diabetes.  In response to these facts,
the Ministry of Health, with the support of WHO has been
developing the first medium and long-term high level
national plan (2005-2015) for chronic disease control and
prevention.  The plan includes comprehensive and integrated
programmes to successfully combat chronic diseases.
"These programmes represent a long-term investment in
our future and the future of our children. We are committed
to implementing the strategies outlined in this report to
effectively prevent chronic disease and urge the same scale
of commitment from others," said Dr Wang Longde,
China's Vice-Minister of Health, in the supporting
statement to the report.

    In 2002, China established the National Centre for
Chronic and Non-communicable Disease Control and Prevention
to be responsible for surveillance and population based
interventions.  The centre is now designated as a WHO
Collaborating Centre on Community-based Integrated
Non-Communicable Disease Control and Prevention.

    "We look at China CDC to further convince leaders,
but also persuade the industry and the community at large to
change behaviour and live healthier lifestyles.  WHO looks
forward for China CDC to further explore community-based
integrated models of chronic disease control and
prevention, conduct cost effective disease management,
health education and interventions that would improve
equity, availability and acceptability of the community
health services," said Dr Henk Bekedam, WHO
Representative in China.

    The centre is currently working to establish a national
chronic disease control network that would comprehensively
survey the country's population and accumulate human,
technology and information sources that would build into an
excellence centre with significance not only to China, but
also other countries in the region.
 
    For further information, please contact: 

     Roy Wadia
     Communications Officer
     WHO China
     Mobile: [phone]
     Email:  [e-mail]

SOURCE  World Health Organisation