Noncommunicable diseases

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• World Health Assembly, day 2: resolution on noncommunicable diseases approved
  24-05-2012
  A resolution on strengthening noncommunicable disease policies to promote active ageing was approved by countries on the second day of WHO’s global annual meeting.
• World health statistics 2012 report: increase of hypertension and diabetes
  22-05-2012
  The World health statistics 2012 report, released on 16 May 2012, highlights the growing problem of noncommunicable diseases.
• Russian Federation to become a leading country in the Region to use strong graphic health warnings
  15-05-2012
  On Friday, the Ministry of Health issued a decree mandating graphic health warnings on all cigarette packs.
• Strengthening national policies on NCD prevention and control in the Republic of Moldova
  01-05-2012
  On 25 April 2012, a roundtable took place in the Republic of Moldova to review current national policies directed toward prevention and control of the priority NCDs and related risk factors.
• Empowering patients
  17-04-2012
  From passive recipient to co-producer of health care – health systems must involve chronically ill people as equal partners in their treatment to be effective. The First European Conference on Patient Empowerment was held in Copenhagen, Denmark on 11–12 April 2012. Read more …
• "Dementia: a public health priority" - new report by WHO and Alzheimer’s Disease International
  13-04-2012
  The number of people living with dementia worldwide is currently estimated at 35.6 million. This number will double by 2030 and more than triple by 2050. Sadly, there is lack of awareness and understanding of dementia in most countries.
• Deaths from tobacco in Europe
  11-04-2012
  Before the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control came into force in 2005, 16% of all deaths in adults aged over 30 years in the WHO European Region were due to tobacco. Read more…
• Are patients in control of their health care? European conference promotes patient-centred health systems
  11-04-2012
  Health systems are usually organized to deliver care to patients with the professional at the centre. But this traditional view of the relationship between patients and doctors is being review at the first European Conference on Patient Empowerment, taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark on 11–12 April 2012.
• Regional Technical Consultation on NCD Surveillance, Monitoring and Evaluation
  28-02-2012
  In addition to informing the country consultation process, the Consultation discussed regional perspectives relevant for monitoring and evaluation of the European strategy for the Action Plan for implementation of the European Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases 2012–2016 and Health 2020.
• Instrument to map management of noncommunicable diseases in primary care under development
  08-02-2012
  WHO/Europe is developing a new framework instrument to assess how effectively noncommunicable diseases are managed in primary care, in collaboration with the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research.
• WHO/Europe responds to call for development of NCD targets and indicators
  06-02-2012
  A Regional Technical Consultation on Noncommunicable Disease (NCD) Surveillance, Monitoring and Evaluation will take place in Oslo 9-10 February 2012.
• First European Conference on Patient Empowerment - living with chronic disease
  02-02-2012
  The conference will take place 11-12 April 2012, in Copenhagen, Denmark and is organized in close technical collaboration with WHO/Europe under the auspices of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
• Effectiveness of Tax and Price Policies for Tobacco Control
  30-01-2012
  This report gives a critical review and evaluation of the evidence by 25 international experts from twelve countries on the economics, epidemiology, public policy and tobacco control aspects of tax and price policies.
• Hungarian smoking ban expected to cut the number of people treated in hospital or dying from heart attack and coronary illnesses by 10-15% within a year
  16-01-2012
  The strong nationwide smoke-free law covering public spaces (including workplaces, clubs and restaurants) came into force from 1 January 2012. It will fine an instant health care penalty upon the perpetrator of up to HUF 30 000HUF (EUR 100).
• Strengthening the contribution of primary care in prevention and control of NCDs
  11-01-2012
  A regional WHO meeting in Amsterdam on 25-26 January 2012 aims to assist Member States and organizations in their efforts to implement the primary care actions and interventions described in the Action Plan for implementation of the European Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) 2012–2016, with a focus on cardio-metabolic risk assessment.
• Reducing cancer: international community moves from resolution to action
  18-11-2011
  The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and its partners, including WHO, have developed a resolution that specifies measurable steps to reduce preventable deaths from cancer.
• Diabetes epidemic in Europe
  11-11-2011
  Lifestyle choices are putting more people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. World Diabetes Day 2011 focuses on prevention.
• Women and cancer: screening and treatment save lives
  03-11-2011
  One in five women in the European Region will get cancer before the age of 75. A third of cancers are preventable, and common types among women – breast, colorectal and cervical – can be cured if detected early.
• Deaths of 30 000 women can be prevented – WHO/Europe calls for more action on cervical cancer
  19-10-2011
  Last week, over 100 experts and policy-makers from 42 countries and 7 partner organizations gathered in Istanbul, Turkey to discuss the prevention of cervical cancer in the WHO European Region. This cancer kills 30 000 women in Europe every year – a preventable and unacceptable cost to society. An effective vaccine now exists to protect women against human papillomavirus (HPV), the primary cause of cervical cancer, and effective screening programmes can trigger life-saving action before the disease starts.
• Investing in mental health: focus of World Mental Health Day
  07-10-2011
  World Mental Health Day (10 October 2011) focuses on investment. Good mental health contributes to economic prosperity, and improving a population’s mental health yields benefits in both human and economic terms.
• Cervical cancer prevention – programme managers meet in Istanbul to strengthen decision-making and share experiences and best practice
  05-10-2011
  More than 40 Member States will meet in Istanbul to review progress and share experience, best practices and lessons learned within cervical cancer prevention. The meeting will take place 11-12 October 2011.
• Healthy nutrition in schools
  23-09-2011
  Schools offer an opportunity to promote healthy eating habits that children can carry into adulthood, and to reach into the wider community.
• New WHO/Europe centre on noncommunicable diseases opens in Athens
  23-09-2011
  At a ceremony today in Athens, Greece, a new centre on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) was opened by Andreas Loverdos, Minister of Health and Social Solidarity of Greece, and Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
• Noncommunicable diseases top of world’s agenda
  19-09-2011
  Today and tomorrow (19–20 September 2011), high-level representatives of the 193 countries in the United Nations are meeting in New York, United States of America, to discuss the worldwide epidemic of noncommunicable diseases.
• World No Tobacco Day, 31 May 2012 to focus on tobacco industry interference
  16-09-2011
  The tobacco industry makes the only legal consumer product that can harm everyone exposed to it - even non-users - and kills up to half of those who use it as intended.
• Noncommunicable diseases country profiles 2011 - WHO global report
  14-09-2011
• Europe at forefront of global movement against major diseases
  13-09-2011
  In 2011, the world is waking up to a major threat to health and to economies. European governments are defining the actions they must take to control it. Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, heart disease, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes account for over 86% of deaths and 77% of the disease burden in the WHO European Region. In advance of a United Nations General Assembly high-level meeting on the subject next week, the health ministers of Europe are today set to discuss the core actions needed to control these diseases, in the face of the double burden of disease and financial crisis.
• Free and anonymous mental health counselling meets a great demand in Kyrgyzstan
  06-09-2011
  In response to the inter-ethnic violent conflict, which escalated in June 2010 in the south of Kyrgyzstan, the WHO Country Office, Kyrgyzstan received funds from the Russian Federation to improve the provision of mental health interventions and medical services in Osh and Jalalabad oblasts.
• Reducing road deaths in Turkey: Ministry of Health and WHO meet to discuss achievements of the Road Safety project
  04-08-2011
  The Ministry of Health’s primary health care team lead by Dr Seracettin, Com General Director, visited the WHO Country Office, on 29 July 2011. The aim of the visit was to review the progress of the Road Safety project in 10 countries (RS10) funded by the Bloomberg Initiative and also implemented in Turkey.
• New evidence from WHO: inadequate housing causes more than 100 000 annual deaths in Europe
  23-06-2011
  Inadequate housing accounts for over 100 000 deaths per year in the WHO European Region and causes or contributes to many preventable diseases and injuries, including respiratory, nervous system and cardiovascular diseases and cancer. This is the main conclusion of a report, "Environmental burden of disease associated with inadequate housing", released today by WHO/Europe.
• Inequity in cancer care: a global perspective
  08-06-2011
  Inequality in health reflects broader social inequality, this is confirmed in cancer patterns both in terms of its incidence and its treatment and survival. This publication focuses on the issue of inequality (disparity) as it applies to cancer care in general, and access to prevention, screening, palliative and treatment services in particular.
• Changing risky behaviour key to tackling noncommunicable diseases
  02-06-2011
  The policy action needed at national and cross-national level to address the epidemic of noncommunicable diseases was again on the agenda as experts met in Budapest, Hungary, on 30-31 May 2011 at the ‘Action for Prevention’ Conference of the Hungarian Presidency of the European Union.
• Tobacco-control legislation: already saving lives
  30-05-2011
  The evidence shows that tobacco legislation is working. Confounding its early critics, it is already saving lives and improving health across the WHO European Region. Studies from countries that enforce bans on smoking in public places are finding reductions in heart attacks. Exposure to tobacco smoke contributes to cardiovascular diseases, cancer and tuberculosis, and the scientific literature indicates that, just a few months after the implementation of smoke-free laws, the hospitalization rates for myocardial infarctions decrease by 20–40%.
• New database on nutrition, obesity and physical activity
  19-05-2011
  Physical inactivity and unhealthy food habits are contributing to spiralling levels of noncommunicable diseases. WHO/Europe has developed a database to map policies on nutrition, physical activity and obesity throughout the WHO European Region.
• Opening of World Health Assembly: Director-General urges ministers to “remember the people”
  17-05-2011
  The Sixty-fourth World Health Assembly, WHO’s global annual meeting for ministers and senior health officials, opened yesterday.
• Pharmacists' contribution to public health in noncommunicable diseases: Budapest conference 29 June 2011
  10-05-2011
  The Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, together with the Hungarian Committee of Pharmaceutical Care, the EuroPharm Forum, and the WHO Regional Office for Europe will organize a joint conference for decision makers on pharmacists' contribution to public health in noncommunicable diseases, on 29 June 2011, Budapest, Hungary.
• “Sport for all” policies encourage physical activity
  10-05-2011
  WHO/Europe is leading a project to encourage greater synergy between different sectors working to increase sport and health-enhancing physical activity. 10 May is Move for Health Day.
• Headaches common but neglected
  09-05-2011
  WHO’s new atlas of headache disorders reveals that over half of all adults in the European Region have experienced migraine, tension-type headache or medication-overuse headache in the previous year. Nevertheless, these disorders are underrecognized, underdiagnosed and undertreated.
• Experts agree on new European action plan on alcohol
  06-05-2011
  Countries’ experts on alcohol policy met in Zurich, Switzerland on 4–5 May 2011 to discuss the draft European alcohol action plan and a series of surveys planned on alcohol and health.
• WHO meeting of National Counterparts for Alcohol Policy in the WHO European Region
  04-05-2011
  National Counterparts for Alcohol Policy in the WHO European Region will meet in Zurich, Switzerland 4-5 May 2011 to discuss the draft European Alcohol Action Plan, the planned surveys on alcohol and health and to exchange information between Member States on alcohol policy developments.
• Noncommunicable diseases on global health agenda
  02-05-2011
  The First Global Ministerial Conference on Healthy Lifestyles and Noncommunicable Disease Control took place in Moscow, Russian Federation on 28–29 April 2011. European delegations met before the Conference to discuss the WHO European Region’s challenges in and solutions to the problem.
• Burden of noncommunicable diseases is a top priority in Uzbekistan
  27-04-2011
  The Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan, in close collaboration with the WHO Country Office in Uzbekistan, is taking significant efforts in addressing the high burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the country.
• Turkey launches health promotion activities and efforts for communication to the public
  14-04-2011
  On 11-13 April 2011 the Health Promotion Department of the Ministry of Health in Turkey organized an international symposium on health promotion and communication. The aim was to share knowledge and information and contribute to health promotion studies in Turkey devoted to raising awareness among population through media campaigns on healthy behavior.
• Countries contribute to action plan for noncommunicable diseases
  24-03-2011
  Representatives of 36 countries in the WHO European Region met in Copenhagen on 17–18 March 2011 to set a five-year course for effective action to tackle noncommunicable diseases.
• Meeting with the European Respiratory Society
  21-03-2011
  Professor Francesco Blasi, Vice-President of the European Respiratory Society, met Ms Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, on 18 March 2011 to discuss potential areas of collaboration.
• Consultation on action plan for noncommunicable diseases
  16-03-2011
  A consultation will bring together national focal points from European Member States and other stakeholders to develop a five-year operational plan for implementation of the European Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases.
• Being physically active helps prevent cancer
  04-02-2011
  On World Cancer Day on 4 February, WHO/Europe points at physical activity as an effective means to prevent cancer, together with avoiding tobacco and following a healthy diet, and invites policy-makers to strengthen efforts to encourage active transport.
• Health Experts Accept use of HbA1c for Diagnosing Diabetes
  02-02-2011
  A new test for diagnosing diabetes mellitus has been accepted by a WHO-backed group of experts, offering a more practical approach to test for the disease that affects over 220 million people worldwide.
• High-level Consultation in the European Region on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, with a Particular Focus on the Developmental Challenges
  17-11-2010
  25–26 November 2010, Oslo, Norway
• Launching of WHO initiative Better health better lives: children and young people with intellectual disabilities and their families
  12-11-2010
  Better health better lives: children and young people with intellectual disabilities and their families is a WHO initiative that aims to ensure that all children and young people with intellectual disabilities are fully participating members of society, living with their families, integrated in the community and receiving health care and support proportional to their needs. The initiative will be launched at a conference in Bucharest, Romania 26 – 27 November 2010 in partnership with UNICEF and will result in a declaration that covers 4 key objectives.