Every week we hear of new strides against infectious disease: greater access to ARVs for poor country AIDS patients; more pledges of assistance from the G8; new therapies coming on-line from non-profit partnerships. Infectious diseases in poor countries are finally getting the attention and resources they deserve. However, it would be easy in all the attention given to infectious diseases to forget that the greatest mortality and illness in the world is now caused by chronic diseases. In every region of the world except sub-Saharan Africa (which is not far behind), the toll of chronic diseases - primarily cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and cancer - outweighs that of infectious disease, and the burden is rising quickly. There are currently no Global Funds, no President's Emergency Plan, and no programs devoted to "Rolling Back" chronic diseases.
At a symposium on Monday, April 30, sponsored by Population Reference Bureau, I will join others in outlining the health and economic costs of chronic diseases, as well as describing some start-up efforts to address what many are calling the next "global epidemic." Presenters are Harvard epidemiologist Dr. Walter Willett, Sylvia Robles, World Bank, Denise Stevens of Yale and Matrix Public Health Associates, and myself. Please join us!
