image: Projected change from 2015 to 2040 in percentage of disease burden due to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) by score on the health system capacity index. view more
Credit: <I>Health Affairs</I>
Within a generation, the share of disease burden attributed to noncommunicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes in some low-income countries will exceed 80 percent, rivaling that of richer countries. In a new study appearing in the November issue of Health Affairs, Thomas Bollyky of the Council on Foreign Relations and coauthors examined the shift from communicable to noncommunicable diseases and estimated preparedness for it by ranking 172 nations. The analysis showed that the burden of premature noncommunicable diseases is growing quickly in lower-income countries due more to demographic factors than to modifiable behavioral risks such as unhealthy diets and physical inactivity. The shift to noncommunicable diseases will be fastest in the countries with the health systems that are the least prepared to manage and treat these diseases (see the exhibit below). The study authors conclude that more investment is needed from national governments and donors to 1) reduce key modifiable risk factors such as tobacco use; 2) increase lower-cost access to primary and preventive care; and 3) prepare the health systems of lower-income countries for the faster than expected rise of noncommunicable diseases.
Also of interest in the November issue:
Explicit Bias Toward High-Income-Country Research: A Randomized, Blinded, Crossover Experiment Of English Clinicians; Matthew Harris of Imperial College London and coauthors.
Global Lessons In Frugal Innovation To Improve Health Care Delivery In The United States; Yasser Bhatti of Imperial College London and coauthors.
Health Professional Education And Universal Health Coverage: A Summary Of Challenges And Selected Case Studies; Arthika Sripathy of Imperial College London and coauthors.
Improving Care And Lowering Costs: Evidence And Lessons From A Global Analysis Of Accountable Care Reforms; Mark McClellan of Duke University and coauthors.
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