global health platforms on NCDs

Per a Livestrong briefing, 80% percent of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) occur in low- and middle-income countries. The briefing reports that presently, cancer alone, costs $895 billion annually, with a global burden that has the potential to limit productivity and economic growth on a national, regional, and international level. Many existing global health platforms function to prevent, treat, and eradicate communicable diseases. While chronic conditions that dramatically affect life expectancy are neglected. The global health conversation is shifting, however, to consider the ways in which existing global health platforms can be employed towards addressing the burden of NCDs worldwide.

At a Global Health Council discussion panel held today in New York City, various leaders in global health spoke about the importance of leveraging current global health platforms. Yet they persistently cautioned that not all platforms are translatable in the setting of NCDs. Yet I found one persistent theme, and that is the importance of primary care, continuity of care, and preventative medicine in reducing this burden. And these methods are of course connected to the burden of communicable diseases. If systems are in place to promote healthy living, vaccinations, and continuous care, both NCDs and infectious diseases can be addressed. The solution is primary care. Now the barrier is implementation - building infrastructure, training healthcare providers, and equity in access - real barriers to care that undoubtedly exist in both developing and developed countries.