Non-communicable diseases in the South-East Asia region: burden, strategies and opportunities

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a global health and developmental emergency, as they cause premature deaths,exacerbate poverty and threaten national economies. In 2008, they were the top killers in the South-East Asia region, causing 7.9 million deaths; the number of deaths is expected to increase by 21% over the next decade. One-third of the 7.9 million deaths (34%) occurred in those <60 years of age (compared to 23% in the rest of the world). Of the total deaths in the South-East Asia region (14.5 million), cardiovascular diseases accounted for 25%, chronic respiratory diseases 9.6%, cancer 7.8% and diabetes 2.1%. NCDs are largely attributable to a few preventable risk factors, all of which are highly prevalent in the region-tobacco use, unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity and harmful use of alcohol. Key strategies for the prevention and control of NCDs include (i) reducing exposure to risk factors through health promotion and primary prevention, (ii) early diagnosis and management of people with NCDs, and (iii) surveillance to monitor trends in risk factors and diseases. Tackling NCDs calls for a paradigm shift: from addressing each NCD separately to collectively addressing a cluster of diseases in an integrated manner, and from using a biomedical approach to a public health approach guided by the principles of universal access and social justice. High levels of commitment and multisectoral actions are needed to reverse the growing burden of NCDs in the South-East Asia region.