Integrating Health Services for Young People: Tackling the Growing Noncommunicable Disease Epidemic

This policy report argues that integrating noncommunicable disease (NCD) services---particularly those targeted at prevention and early intervention---with other health services for young people can help tackle the growing noncommunicable disease (NCD) epidemic in low- and middle-income countries (L...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Policy File 2017
Main Authors: Kaneda, Toshiko, Naik, Reshma
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Children & youth/Families & family life
Health care policy
Population Reference Bureau
Online Access:Request full text
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Summary:This policy report argues that integrating noncommunicable disease (NCD) services---particularly those targeted at prevention and early intervention---with other health services for young people can help tackle the growing noncommunicable disease (NCD) epidemic in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). NCDs increasingly affect people in LMICs where almost three-quarters of all global deaths from NCDs occur and where such deaths are far more likely to be premature (before the age of 70) than in high-income countries. In addition to the effects on health, premature deaths disrupt the social and financial well-being of families and hinder national economic growth and sustainable development. To improve the response to a growing NCD epidemic, the World Health Organization promotes integrating prevention and control of NCDs into other health programs, such as those addressing sexual and reproductive health (SRH), maternal and child health (MCH), HIV/AIDS, and communicable diseases. Reaching young people with these integrated services is particularly important since they make up over a quarter of the population in LMICs and given that critical risk behaviors for NCDs---tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, physical inactivity, and unhealthy diet---typically start early in life, during adolescence or young adulthood.