The Alliance aims to develop and encourage the work of the Ministry of Health and other health authorities in facing noncommunicable diseases and addressing their risk factors. It seeks to promote healthy behaviours and the adoption of healthy lifestyles by members of the community and to ensure genuine partnership among all sectors.
In a presentation delivered to members of the Alliance by Dr Heba Fouad, NCD Surveillance Officer, WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, outlining the global and regional burden of noncommunicable diseases and WHO’s response, Dr Fouad said “your interest and commitment to the fight against noncommunicable diseases is the most important message, as the Ministry of Health cannot work alone, it has to be a collaborative effort including all sectors, as prevention is better than a cure”
Noncommunicable diseases are the world’s biggest killers and a leading cause of death in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. Commonly known as chronic or lifestyle-related diseases, they include cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes. Every year, more than 1.7 million people in the Region die from these 4 main noncommunicable diseases alone, and yet many of these deaths could be prevented through simple lifestyle-related changes and cost-effective interventions implemented by national governments.
