PFCD: New World Health Organization Report Underlines Seriousness of the Chronic Disease Crisis
Chronic conditions are now the chief cause of death globally, according to WHO
The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) today called on health care leaders and policymakers in the U.S. to lead the global fight against chronic disease in response to the World Health Organization’s release of World health statistics 2008. This annual report found that chronic conditions are now the chief cause of death globally.
"This report tells us that the devastating impact of chronic disease is not only an problem here in the U.S., but is increasingly becoming a problem for the entire world," said Ken Thorpe, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, and Executive Director of the PFCD.
"To win this fight, we must bring to bear our collective knowledge and expertise on how to promote health and wellness," he continued. "In the U.S., we can begin by adopting private and public policies that promote healthy lifestyle habits and enhance the wellness of Americans."
To help find solutions, on June 5 at an event in Washington, D.C., the PFCD will release a publication -- "Promising Practices in Chronic Disease Prevention and Management" -- that showcases programs and policies with proven success in addressing this crisis.
The Partnership recently issued a comprehensive "Almanac of Chronic Disease" highlighting the impact of chronic disease on our Americans’ health, health care, and the U.S. economy. The Almanac is available online at: http://www.fightchronicdisease.com/resources/index.cfm.
About the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease:
PFCD is a national coalition of patients, providers, community organizations, business and labor groups, and health policy experts committed to raising awareness of the number one cause of death, disability, and rising health care costs in the U.S.: chronic disease.
The PFCD's mission is to:
- Challenge policymakers - in particular, the 2008 presidential candidates - to make fighting chronic disease a top priority and articulate how they will address the issue in their health care proposals
- Educate the public about chronic disease and potential solutions for individuals, communities, and the nation
- Mobilize Americans to call for change in how policymakers, governments, employers, health institutions, and other entities approach chronic disease
For more information about the PFCD and its partner organizations, please visit: http://www.fightchronicdisease.org.
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