United Nations on World TB Day 2012

Today, we are happy to publish message from United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon on Tuberculosis!

For too long, tuberculosis has not received sufficient attention. The result of this neglect is needless suffering: in 2010 alone, nearly 9 million people fell ill with TB and 1.4 million died, with 95 per cent of these deaths occurring in developing countries. These numbers make tuberculosis the second top infectious killer of adults worldwide.
The impact reverberates far beyond the individuals directly affected. TB takes a heavy toll on families and communities. Millions of children have lost their parents. Children who are exposed to sick family members are at high risk of contracting the disease. Far too many go untreated, since TB is often difficult to diagnose and treat in children. That is why this year we should aim to expand awareness of how children are affected by the disease.
It is critical to support those who lack the means to respond with the care and treatment they need to enjoy healthy and productive lives.
With the right interventions, we can make a major difference. We know how to end all forms of TB, including multi-drug resistant TB - which has emerged in most countries - before it leads to severe manifestations that are costly to treat and cause additional suffering. Where we have taken strong and proven measures, the number of people falling ill with TB has declined markedly.
The World Health Organization reports that our concerted efforts have helped to cut death rates by 40 per cent since 1990. Forty-six million people have been cured and seven million lives have been saved since 1995 thanks to the efforts of the United Nations, governments, donors, civil society groups, private partners, public health experts, and tens of thousands of health workers and affected families and communities.
Now is the time to be even more ambitious and "Stop TB in our lifetime," the theme of this year's World TB Day.

I call for intensified global solidarity to ensure that all people are free from fear of tuberculosis and its devastating effects. Let us vow to end the neglect of TB and to end deaths from this disease in our lifetime.

UNite in the Fight Against Non-Communicable Diseases

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is an international public health agency with more than 100 years of experience in working to improve health and living standards of the countries of the Americas. The Pan American Health Organization is participating in preparation of the United Nations  High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases on Sept. 19-20, 2011. 
Very inspirational motto of this campaign: 

UNite in the Fight Against NCDs 

Exclusive interview with Dr. Jon Andrus, Deputy Director of the Pan American Health Organization, with regards to the high-level UN-NCD meeting that shall take place this fall in New York City.

Non-Communicable Diseases is the GLOBAL PRIORITY

Respiratory Non-Communicable Diseases is representing huge part of all chronic diseases. The impact of Respiratory Non-Communicable Diseases, also can be increased by well known link between COPD and cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome. 

United Nations General Assembly voted unanimously last year to support and which called for the Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases to be convened in September 2011.  Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases will act as a global voice of all member organizations and individuals with non-communicable diseases.

The well known promoter of the Non-Communicable Diseases is Lance Armstrong. You also can sign petition.  
We have the power to save millions of lives.    

     Only 48 DAYS left till the United Nations Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases.

RESPIRATORY DECADE suggests working together on common aim: to help people with Non-Communicable Diseases and to prevent the increase of these diseases in the world by simple interventions on tobacco, salt, diets, alcohol!

LET’S COMMUNICATE ABOUT NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

Do you know what a non-communicable disease is?

Do you know what impact it has on world economy?

Do you have this disease? May be your relatives or friends? 

Are they dangerous?

Here the answers to these questions:

Non-communicable disease is a medical condition or disease which is non-infectious and is of long duration and generally slow progression. They include mainly heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancers, and chronic respiratory disease.

The central problem of non-communicable diseases is that ordinary patients have no idea about this problem that we all worry about. Practically you cannot see a patient which will declare that he or she has "a non-communicable disease"! It is a huge problem! That is why we need more communication about chronic diseases!

Non-communicable diseases currently account for 35 million deaths annually worldwide out of 58.7 million, the majority of them in low and middle-income countries (28.1 million). In developing countries alone, an estimated 8 million such deaths per year are premature, that is below 60 years of age, and could potentially be prevented. The prevalence and impact of non-communicable diseases continue to grow. Chronic diseases account for 60% of all deaths worldwide, and 80% of these deaths occur in low- or middle-income countries, where the toll is disproportionate during the prime productive years of youth and middle age.

A recent report from the World Health Organization identified six risk factors associated with non-communicable diseases as the leading global risk factors for death: high blood pressure, tobacco use, high blood glucose levels, physical inactivity, overweight or obesity, and high cholesterol levels. 

We need initiative in fighting of non-communicable diseases and risk factors not only from policy makers, but from all human community: patients, doctors and persons which are interested in respiratory pathologies. Unfortunately majority of policy makers make promotion of themselves by non-communicable diseases. From my point of view we need a higher implication of patients and medical structures.

            There are no important and less important diseases, but we can see this simplistic approach in health care systems all over the world. Meanwhile, there are some inspiring actions, for example:

The Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance was launched in May 2009 at an event in Geneva titled 'Health and Development: Held back by Non-Communicable diseases'. The Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance is a formal alliance of four international federations representing the four main NCDs outlined in the World Health Organization’s 2008-2013 Action Plan for NCDs – cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory disease.

The world known medical journal LANCET is publishing series dedicated to Non-Communicable Diseases. On 6 April 2011, Professor Robert Beaglehole wrote: “The United Nations High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in September, 2011, is an unprecedented opportunity to create a sustained global movement against premature death and preventable morbidity and disability from NCDs, mainly heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease. The increasing global crisis in NCDs is a barrier to development goals including poverty reduction, health equity, economic stability, and human security.” The last comparable United Nations High Level Meeting meeting was on AIDS in 2001 and led to the creation of Global Fund.

The Lancet NCD Action Group and the NCD Alliance propose several priority actions: leadership, prevention, treatment, international cooperation, and monitoring and accountability. Also were proposed and five priority interventions (which are very realistic) - tobacco control, salt reduction, improved diets and physical activity, reduction in hazardous alcohol intake, and essential drugs and technologies. 

RESPIRATORY DECADE suggests working together on common aim: to help people with Non-Communicable Diseases and to prevent the increase of these diseases in the world by simple interventions on tobacco, salt, diets, alcohol!