WHO issues new report to help curb chronic non-communicable diseases

The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) today launched a new report profiling for the first time chronic disease risk factors in 170 Member States for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in a bid to curb ailments ranging from cardiovascular disease and cancers to diabetes and respiratory conditions.

The SuRF (Surveillance of Risk Factors) Report 1 is the first step in a major WHO initiative to fight NCDs. Until recently, risk factors such as raised blood pressure, cholesterol, tobacco use, excess alcohol consumption, obesity and related diseases were associated with developed countries. The “World Health Report 2002: reducing risks, promoting healthy life,” found that even in the poorest regions these common risk factors are now causing a rising burden of serious disease and untimely deaths.

"Many developing countries are affected by a double burden of disease, the combination of long-established infectious diseases, with a rapidly growing new epidemic of chronic, non-communicable diseases," Ruth Bonita, Director of Surveillance, Non-communicable Diseases and Mental Health at WHO, said.

"Member States need good data on their community profile of key risk factors so that they can bring these diseases under control. And given the time lag between exposure and disease, the risk factors of today predict the diseases of tomorrow," she added.

For his part, Professor Philip Poole-Wilson, President of the World Heart Federation said: "This data collection is crucial for predicting the future burden of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease in populations, for identifying potential interventions to reduce their rapid growth, and for implementing better health policies, especially in developing countries.”

The SuRF Report 1 includes a CD-ROM containing current data available by age and sex for each country. These include tobacco and alcohol use, patterns of physical inactivity, low fruit/vegetable intake, obesity, blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes. "We hope that the publication of key risk factor data will encourage Member States to send regular updates to help us fill in the gaps in this important data collection," Kate Strong, Data Manager of the WHO Global NCD InfoBase, said.

The next step, SuRF 2, will harmonize the data to enable comparisons between countries. "Comparable data are needed by researchers, doctors and policy makers to help put into place preventive measures to combat the rise of chronic disease worldwide" Ms. Bonita said.