Burden of non-communicable diseases in South Asia

doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7443.807

BMJ 2004;328:807-810 (3 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7443.807

Clinical review

Burden of non-communicable diseases in South Asia

Abdul Ghaffar, public health specialist¹, K Srinath Reddy, professor of cardiology², Monica Singhi, research assistant³

¹ Global Forum for Health Research, World Health Organization, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, ² Department of Cardiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India, ³ Initiative for Cardiovascular Health Research in the Developing Countries, T-7, Green Park Extension, New Delhi 110016

Correspondence to: A Ghaffar ghaffara@who.int

This article explores the burden of the major non-communicablediseases in South Asia and the extent to which obstacles hinderprevention and management of these diseases

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Introduction

The World Health Organization (WHO) stated in 2002 that "inmany regions, some of the most formidable enemies of healthare joining forces with the allies of poverty to impose a doubleburden of disease, disability and premature death in many millionsof people."¹ This is what is happening in South Asia, whichhas one quarter of the global population but where about halfthe population lives below the poverty line and has limitedaccess to health care. Although infectious diseases remain aformidable enemy, the population is ageing and non-communicablediseases are rising.^2-4 South Asia has made fair economic progressin recent decades but is struggling to find a road towards sustainabledevelopment.

We review here the estimated burden of noncommunicable diseasesin South Asia, the risk factors for these diseases, the limitationsof the available data, and the attempts being made to gatherevidence of better quality. We . . . [Full text of this article]

Sources and selection criteria

Estimating the burden of non-communicable diseases

Cardiovascular diseases

Diabetes mellitus

Cancer

Chronic respiratory diseases

Features of non-communicable diseases in South Asia

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Conclusions

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