Addressing the challenges of noncommunicable diseases and injuries in Latin America and Asia-Pacific countries

Abstract

The disease burden related to non-communicable diseases and injuries (NCDIs) is strongly correlated with a country’s income status and within each country there are similarly strong socioeconomic gradients, with those experiencing the highest levels of socioeconomic hardship being the most affected.1-8 At the individual and household level, agency and capabilities to confront these challenges not only depend on education and financial means to deal with NCDIs but also on the physical and social environments where people live.9 The political economy and policies enacted both within and outside the health system influence the extent to which different populations are reached and frequently there is a large equity variation in who benefits from these policies. For example, dealing with obesity in more affluent communities requires different policy responses to those needed when prevalence rises in poorer communities. 5,6,10-15 All this to say that politics and context heavily influence health system responses to NCDIs. In this regard, it is essential that innovations reflect a diversity of contexts and multi-country partnerships are key to supporting this.