Risk Factors & Prevention

PAHO Wellness Week 2014

Many NCDs can be prevented by addressing diet, physical activity, tobacco and alcohol use and making the places we live in health promoting.

With health systems under stresses, promoting healthy diet, physical activity, reduced alcohol use and tobacco smoking cessation are simple and cost effective measures to reduce premature death and disability from NCDs. Prevention strategies are not only effective for those who don't have NCDs, but also for mitigating and reducing the burden of various NCDs and the risk of developing co-morbidities alongside existing illness.

Promoting healthy diet, physical activity, reduced alcohol use and tobacco use cessation are simple and cost effective measures to reduce premature death and disability from NCDs. Prevention strategies are not only effective tools to protect populations against developing an NCD, but also for mitigating and reducing the burden of various NCDs and the risk of developing co-morbidities alongside existing illness.

NCDs are the leading causes of death worldwide and account for nearly 2/3 of all global deaths. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and the poorest and most vulnerable populations are the hardest hit – but the global NCD epidemic can be significantly reduced if we take action now to address its drivers such as tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, poor diet and physical inactivity.

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Signalling Virtue, Promoting Harm - Unhealthy commodity industries and COVID-19 [1]