Publication: The Challenge of Non-Communicable Diseases and Road Traffic Injuries in Sub-Saharan Africa : An Overview
Loading...
Date
2013-06
ISSN
Published
2013-06
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
This report draws on a comprehensive review of the literature and on input from policy makers, researchers, and practitioners to address four questions: (1) how is the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and road traffic injuries (RTIs) changing the epidemiology of Sub-Saharan Africa? (2) What determines and drives this burden, and what are the commonalities with communicable diseases? (3) What is the rationale for public intervention? (4) How could resource-constrained governments approach NCD prevention and treatment and road safety in a comprehensive, effective and efficient way? The data show that action against NCDs and RTIs in Sub-Saharan Africa is needed, together with continued efforts to address communicable diseases and maternal and child health as well as to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The report suggests that NCDs and RTIs should not be tackled separately as a vertical program, nor should they displace communicable diseases as priorities. Instead, given resource constraints, and some shared determinants, characteristics, and interventions, there is scope for an integrated approach focusing on functions (prevention, treatment, and care) rather than on disease categories. Examples are cited of potential opportunities to integrate and add NCD prevention and treatment into existing services and programs. Proven, cost-effective, prevention interventions are clearly needed, many of which (such as tobacco and alcohol taxes, road safety measures, and fuel-efficient ventilated cook-stoves) require action beyond the health sector. These can deliver broader development benefits in addition to their benefits for health. Selective, evidence-based actions to reduce NCDs and RTIs will address the changing disease burden in Africa and achieve a more sustainable improvement in health outcomes, more efficient use of resources, and better equity across patients and populations.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Marquez, Patricio V.; Farrington, Jill L.. 2013. The Challenge of Non-Communicable Diseases and Road Traffic Injuries in Sub-Saharan Africa : An Overview. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16451 License: CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Transport for Health : The Global Burden of Disease from Motorized Road Transport(Seattle: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, 2014-03-31)This report summarizes the findings of a long and meticulous journey of data gathering and analysis to quantify the health losses from road deaths and injuries worldwide, as part of the path-finding Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study. It is important, first, to acknowledge the profound contribution made by the lead authors and global team of injury prevention professionals to estimate the disease burden of road trauma, before absorbing their findings and recommendations. Without their dedication and tenacity, the way forward would be less certain. The first GBD study, published nearly two decades ago, signaled an emerging road safety crisis in developing regions of the world. It triggered a remarkable program of global advocacy that culminated in the United Nations decade of action for road safety and global plan to bring road safety outcomes under control in these regions by 2020. However, limited investment has been mobilized so far to implement the UN initiative. The second GBD studies, and related analyses presented in this report, confirm the importance of road safety as a global development priority and the urgency with which it must be addressed. The report's findings highlight the growth in road deaths and injuries globally, and their substantial impacts on maternal and child health, despite sustained reductions over the last three to four decades in high-income countries. Combined with the deaths arising from vehicle pollution, the road transport death toll exceeds that of, for example, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, or diabetes. This statistic further reinforces the call for global action. Without these GBD estimates we would not have a clear picture of the true situation because official country data in the developing world vastly understate the scale of road transport health losses.Publication Tackling NCDIs in Cambodia : An Opportunity for Inter - and Itra-Sectoral Synergies(Washington, DC, 2014-11)Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a set of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes that are on the rise in Cambodia. Meanwhile, injuries include those due to traffic accidents, which are becoming a major source of mortality and morbidity in Cambodia. NCDs are increasing in Cambodia as a result of smoking, unhealthy diet, harmful use of alcohol, and physical inactivity, all resulting in a sharp increase in the rates of obesity and high blood pressure. NCDs are affecting Cambodians in their productive years. Over half men and over a third of women dying from NCDs are younger than 60 years. The high cost of long-term health care and medicines, along with loss of income, pushes many Cambodian families deeper into poverty. It also overburdens the country's health system, constraining efforts to improve maternal and child health and tackle infectious diseases. Because of the nature of NCDs, which are rooted in multiple causes, strengthening the health system alone will not reduce the burden of NCDs. Many of the actions needed to prevent and control these diseases require the participation of numerous ministries and government agencies, as well as the private sector. For Cambodians to continue enjoying the fruits of economic growth, a strong commitment by the government, the people, and the international community is becoming increasing important. Improved coordination among all ministry of health (MOH) task forces will maximize financial and human resources and help implement priority NCDI-related interventions as part of, and not separate from, other ongoing programs. The application of the measures will benefit from clear procedures for joint planning, programming, budgeting, training, reporting, and monitoring and evaluation (M and E) of all programs.Publication Promoting Healthy Living and Aging in Central America : Multi-sectoral Approaches to Prevent Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2012-03)Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the main cause of death and disability in Central America. However, communicable diseases and maternal and child conditions remain important causes of death and disability as well as injuries. With the aging of the population and improvements in the control of infectious diseases, the share of NCDs in the total burden of disease is likely to increase. However, in Central America these diseases cause death at a much younger age than in higher-income countries. It is critical to prevent and control NCDs, both for their impact on health, as well as the economy. When not controlled, they can cause costly hospitalizations and large productivity losses due to absenteeism, disability and premature deaths. Finally, they can impoverish households hit by out-of-pocket payments for health services and drugs. A large share of NCDs can be prevented since they result from exposure to health risk factors such as unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, tobacco use, and the harmful use of alcohol. Central Americans have very high caloric diets that are rich in sodium and refined sugars, and lifestyles that often involve low levels of physical activity. Similarly, large shares of youth in some of the countries smoke, while alcohol consumption among drinkers and the frequency of binge drinking in Nicaragua and Guatemala are very high. Although all countries in the region have introduced multi-sectoral interventions to prevent NCD risk factors, much remains to be done: for example, countries have been more successful controlling smoking than addressing physical inactivity, alcohol abuse and poor diets. The role of the health sector is central to preventing NCDs: It needs to ensure their surveillance, along with the risk factors. In addition, the sector needs to ensure that effective multi-sectoral efforts to prevent these conditions take place.Publication Disease and Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa, Second Edition(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2006)Since the publication of the first edition of "Disease and Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa" (report no. 9784 (1991)), many new sources of health and demographic information have become available, including data on trends in HIV infection from antenatal clinic surveillance sites, the first set of African life tables from a growing number of demographic surveillance sites, injury statistics from a small number of injury mortality surveillance registers, and cancer data from cancer registers. Improved methods for estimating the incidence of several other diseases, including tuberculosis, maternal mortality, and chronic diseases, have also improved the reliability of health statistics. Verbal autopsy studies have linked with demographic surveillance sites, adding to our knowledge on changes in the cause-of-death composition in several countries. Notwithstanding these advances in health statistics, a theme that emerges from all the chapters in this volume is that too little is known about trends in the diseases and conditions included here in order to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of programs intended to produce better health outcomes. As we get closer to the 2015 end point of the Millennium Development Goals, reaching the goals will become increasingly challenging. The continued improvement of disease surveillance and other regularly published health information remains as important a priority for African health systems as it was for the first edition.Publication Blood Services in Central Asian Health Systems : A Clear and Present Danger of Spreading HIV/AIDS and Other Infectious Diseases(Washington, DC, 2008-05)The report discusses inter-related parts of blood transfusions systems, and presents an overview of the parts that need to be strengthened in Central Asia. Numerous parts are in serious need of organizational restructuring, new investment and increased budgetary support for operation and maintenance. This report sets them out such that each can be addressed in turn and some simultaneously. The report also discusses the health threat posed by alarmingly low levels of blood supplies, fostered by a culture that places little value on donating blood, public fear of being infected by giving blood, and the near absence of donor promotion campaigns.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication The Journey Ahead(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-31)The Journey Ahead: Supporting Successful Migration in Europe and Central Asia provides an in-depth analysis of international migration in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) and the implications for policy making. By identifying challenges and opportunities associated with migration in the region, it aims to inform a more nuanced, evidencebased debate on the costs and benefits of cross-border mobility. Using data-driven insights and new analysis, the report shows that migration has been an engine of prosperity and has helped address some of ECA’s demographic and socioeconomic disparities. Yet, migration’s full economic potential remains untapped. The report identifies multiple barriers keeping migration from achieving its full potential. Crucially, it argues that policies in both origin and destination countries can help maximize the development impacts of migration and effectively manage the economic, social, and political costs. Drawing from a wide range of literature, country experiences, and novel analysis, The Journey Ahead presents actionable policy options to enhance the benefits of migration for destination and origin countries and migrants themselves. Some measures can be taken unilaterally by countries, whereas others require close bilateral or regional coordination. The recommendations are tailored to different types of migration— forced displacement as well as high-skilled and low-skilled economic migration—and from the perspectives of both sending and receiving countries. This report serves as a comprehensive resource for governments, development partners, and other stakeholders throughout Europe and Central Asia, where the richness and diversity of migration experiences provide valuable insights for policy makers in other regions of the world.Publication Classroom Assessment to Support Foundational Literacy(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-21)This document focuses primarily on how classroom assessment activities can measure students’ literacy skills as they progress along a learning trajectory towards reading fluently and with comprehension by the end of primary school grades. The document addresses considerations regarding the design and implementation of early grade reading classroom assessment, provides examples of assessment activities from a variety of countries and contexts, and discusses the importance of incorporating classroom assessment practices into teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers. The structure of the document is as follows. The first section presents definitions and addresses basic questions on classroom assessment. Section 2 covers the intersection between assessment and early grade reading by discussing how learning assessment can measure early grade reading skills following the reading learning trajectory. Section 3 compares some of the most common early grade literacy assessment tools with respect to the early grade reading skills and developmental phases. Section 4 of the document addresses teacher training considerations in developing, scoring, and using early grade reading assessment. Additional issues in assessing reading skills in the classroom and using assessment results to improve teaching and learning are reviewed in section 5. Throughout the document, country cases are presented to demonstrate how assessment activities can be implemented in the classroom in different contexts.Publication World Development Report 2006(Washington, DC, 2005)This year’s Word Development Report (WDR), the twenty-eighth, looks at the role of equity in the development process. It defines equity in terms of two basic principles. The first is equal opportunities: that a person’s chances in life should be determined by his or her talents and efforts, rather than by pre-determined circumstances such as race, gender, social or family background. The second principle is the avoidance of extreme deprivation in outcomes, particularly in health, education and consumption levels. This principle thus includes the objective of poverty reduction. The report’s main message is that, in the long run, the pursuit of equity and the pursuit of economic prosperity are complementary. In addition to detailed chapters exploring these and related issues, the Report contains selected data from the World Development Indicators 2005‹an appendix of economic and social data for over 200 countries. This Report offers practical insights for policymakers, executives, scholars, and all those with an interest in economic development.Publication Argentina Country Climate and Development Report(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11)The Argentina Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) explores opportunities and identifies trade-offs for aligning Argentina’s growth and poverty reduction policies with its commitments on, and its ability to withstand, climate change. It assesses how the country can: reduce its vulnerability to climate shocks through targeted public and private investments and adequation of social protection. The report also shows how Argentina can seize the benefits of a global decarbonization path to sustain a more robust economic growth through further development of Argentina’s potential for renewable energy, energy efficiency actions, the lithium value chain, as well as climate-smart agriculture (and land use) options. Given Argentina’s context, this CCDR focuses on win-win policies and investments, which have large co-benefits or can contribute to raising the country’s growth while helping to adapt the economy, also considering how human capital actions can accompany a just transition.Publication Lebanon Economic Monitor, Fall 2022(Washington, DC, 2022-11)The economy continues to contract, albeit at a somewhat slower pace. Public finances improved in 2021, but only because spending collapsed faster than revenue generation. Testament to the continued atrophy of Lebanon’s economy, the Lebanese Pound continues to depreciate sharply. The sharp deterioration in the currency continues to drive surging inflation, in triple digits since July 2020, impacting the poor and vulnerable the most. An unprecedented institutional vacuum will likely further delay any agreement on crisis resolution and much needed reforms; this includes prior actions as part of the April 2022 International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff-level agreement (SLA). Divergent views among key stakeholders on how to distribute the financial losses remains the main bottleneck for reaching an agreement on a comprehensive reform agenda. Lebanon needs to urgently adopt a domestic, equitable, and comprehensive solution that is predicated on: (i) addressing upfront the balance sheet impairments, (ii) restoring liquidity, and (iii) adhering to sound global practices of bail-in solutions based on a hierarchy of creditors (starting with banks’ shareholders) that protects small depositors.