FOREWORDS

FOREWORDS
NCD Supplement

Citation: Global Health Action Supplement 1, 2009. DOI: 10.3402/gha.v2i0.2092
Global Health Action 2009. © 2009 Ala Alwan. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), permitting all non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


WHO is pleased with the work of the INDEPTH network in developing the series of papers which focus on the achievements of implementing non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factor surveillance in a number of Asian countries. I would like to congratulate the network on taking the initiative to develop this multi-site study. The results of this surveillance work come at a critical point.

In May 2008, the World Health Assembly endorsed the Action Plan for the Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases. The Action Plan calls for strengthened initiatives for the surveillance, prevention and management of NCDs and highlights the pressing need to invest in NCD prevention as an integral part of sustainable socioeconomic development. Among the proposed actions for Member States, is a call to establish high-quality surveillance and monitoring of the key risk factors and behaviour patterns related to NCDs, based on the WHO STEPwise approach to risk factor surveillance.

Monitoring NCD risk factors is a key component of any national NCD surveillance system. WHO has been promoting the STEPwise approach to risk factor surveillance since early 2000. STEPS is a simple, standardised method for collecting, analysing and disseminating data related to the key behavioural, metabolic and physiological and biochemical risk factors associated with non-communicable diseases. By using the same standardised questions and protocols, all countries can use STEPS information not only for monitoring within-country trends, but also for making comparisons across countries. The approach encourages the collection of small amounts of useful information on a regular and continuing basis.

WHO STEPS operates through collaboration between WHO Headquarters, Regional and Country Offices, and national counterparts to exchange and share technical advice, support, and tools to enable Member States to build capacity in NCD surveillance. Currently, over 100 WHO Member States are engaged in implementing STEPS surveys. More than half of these have completed a survey and produced results which are being used to inform policy and planning for NCD-related programs and interventions. In addition to these STEPS surveys, a number of countries have incorporated the STEPS questions, measures, and methodology into their existing national surveillance systems. This INDEPTH series also demonstrates the feasibility of incorporating the WHO STEPS approach into other surveillance systems.

We look forward to future collaboration with partners in measuring and monitoring the burden of risk related to NCDs and in taking concerted action, based on the data generated.

Dr. Ala Alwan
Assistant Director-General
Non-communicable Disease and Mental Health
World Health Organization

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.
Bookmark and Share


Global Health Action eISSN 1654-9880
Supplements to Global Health Action eISSN 1654-9880, ISSN 1654-9716

This journal is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License. Responsible editor: Stig Wall.