Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading causes of death in the Region of the Americas, leading to 6 million deaths in 2021, 38% of which are premature in people under 70 years of age. The main NCDs are cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases, caused by common risk factors of tobacco, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.
Many of these premature NCD deaths can be avoided with improved access and quality of primary health care, to increase screening, diagnosis, treatment coverage and control rates. Nonetheless, significant gaps persist with the availability of quality health services. Several initiatives to strengthen primary health care for NCDs are being implemented by Ministries of Health, nongovernmental organizations, academic institutions, as well as private sector organizations. In addition, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has been providing technical cooperation to its Member States on Better Care for NCDs , building on the experiences with the Hearts Initiative to accelerate improvements in NCD management in primary health care. This special issue of the Pan American Journal of Public Health seeks to document the results and outcomes of these regional primary health care strengthening efforts for NCDs.
The Pan American Journal of Public Health recognizes and appreciates the technical contributions of the members of the Editorial Committee and authors of the Overview article, as well as the government of Denmark which provided funding through WHO/PAHO to support this special issue. The input provided by all those who contributed to this special issue has helped to widely disseminate the experiences and knowledge to improve NCD management in primary health care in the Americas.
Manuscripts will be published and uploaded to this website as they become available.
Visit the website for resources: English l Español Português l Français