NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, INJURIES AND MENTAL HEALTH: WHY ARE THEY STILL SUCH A LOW PRIORITY ON THE GLOBAL HEALTH AGENDA? Chronic, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), mental disorders, and injuries and violence are major public health problems in developing countries. Together, they account for over 40 per cent of the disease burden in high mortality developing countries, and over 75 per cent in lower mortality developing countries. So why are they so often overlooked by policymakers? In part, this is due to the common misconception that chronic diseases and certain mental disorders are "diseases of affluence", affecting only rich older people, and therefore not a priority. Violence, despite being a major cause of death, has not traditionally been seen as a public health issue. *The HRC/Eldis Health Resource Guide has launched a topic guide to NCDs, injuries and mental health. Produced in collaboration with subject experts, it provides a synthesis of the latest thinking and research on these issues, with summaries of key readings and links to further resources. Access the topic guide at: http://www.eldis.org/health/noncommunicablediseases.htm SOME FACTS ABOUT NCDS, INJURIES AND MENTAL HEALTH Chronic NCDs: * Chronic NCDs, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease and major cancers, account for 60 per cent of all deaths worldwide, 70 per cent of which occur in developing countries. * Rates of premature illness and death from NCDs are greater among adults in urban centres in developing countries, including Africa, than in developed countries. * Prevalence of obesity, a major risk factor for NCDs, rose among children in China from 1.5 per cent in 1987 to 12.6 per cent in 1997. * Less than 0.1 per cent of all health funding from the international assistance community is directed towards chronic NCDs. Visit the Chronic NCDs section of the topic guide at: http://www.eldis.org/health/NCDs_chronicdiseases.htm. For those with limited internet access, the main text of the guide and summaries of key readings can be downloaded at: http://www.eldis.org/fulltext/chronic_ncds.pdf (532 KB) Injury and violence: * Injuries, including those caused by violence, account for over five million deaths worldwide each year. * In 2000, the rate of violence-related death in low and middle income countries was more than twice that in high income countries. * Injury is the leading cause of death and disability among children and young adults; the poor are the worst hit. * On the whole, injuries do not occur at random: they are largely predictable and, therefore, preventable. Visit the Injury and violence section of the topic guide at: http://www.eldis.org/health/NCDs_injury_violence.htm For those with limited internet access, the main text of the guide and summaries of key readings can be downloaded at: http://www.eldis.org/fulltext/injury_violence.pdf (602 KB) Mental health: * Of the 450 million people worldwide with mental health problems, most live in developing countries - mental disorders account for 5-10 per cent of the burden of disease in those countries. * Vulnerable populations, such as the poor and those affected by disasters, are at greater risk. * Although mental disorders can be effectively and affordably treated at local or community level, most of those in need do not receive any treatment. * Governments on average allocate less than one per cent of their health expenditure to mental health, in part due to the stigma associated with mental disorders. Visit the Mental health section of the topic guide at: http://www.eldis.org/health/NCDs_mentalhealth.htm For those with limited internet access, the main text of the guide and summaries of key readings can be downloaded at: http://www.eldis.org/fulltext/mental_health.pdf (590 KB) *If you are unable to download pdfs and would like them to be emailed to you, please reply to the editor at: mailto:f.williams@ids.ac.uk *Please forward details of this new resource to colleagues and networks who may be interested. If your organisation has a website, please consider adding a link to this topic guide at: http://www.eldis.org/health/noncommunicablediseases.htm Fiona Williams Information & Communications Co-ordinator DFID Health and Health Systems Resource Centres Direct Dial: + 44 (0)1273 877540 Email: f.williams@ids.ac.uk