Abstract
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are a major cause of preventable disability worldwide.1 While actions to monitor NCDs have gained significant momentum in the global health agenda, similar developments to monitor and manage the growing burden of NCD-related disability have been relatively slow. The global NCD action plan was developed to support country efforts in addressing the devastating social, economic and public health impacts of NCDs.2 The NCD action plan includes nine voluntary targets and a monitoring framework. However, the monitoring framework has been criticized for its focus on mortality while neglecting adequate measures of morbidity and disability.3 This has resulted from focusing on existing data within health information systems, rather than on identifying appropriate data for measuring disease burden. Indeed, the issue of the chronicity of NCDs seems absent in most monitoring and evaluation frameworks, with an implicit assumption that the only outcome of interest for countries is premature mortality.
Highlights
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are a major cause of preventable disability worldwide.[1]
Responding to this limited scope, several alternative frameworks have been proposed to provide more comprehensive approaches to the prevention and control of NCDs. While these frameworks offer a broader approach to NCD prevention, they offer little for the millions of people already living with an NCD
We argue for the need to improve health data by incorporating measures of NCD-related disability into discussions on NCD prevention and control; strengthen information systems to better capture data on disability; and to align NCD and disability measurement and monitoring strategies
Summary
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are a major cause of preventable disability worldwide.[1].
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