International Alliance of Patients’ Organization’s New Strategic Plan Involving Person-Centred Care

Abstract

Patients’, families’ and carers’ priorities are different in every country and in every disease area, but from this diversity there are some common needs. Health systems in all world regions are under pressure and will not be able to cope if they continue to focus on diseases, rather than patients. Chronic diseases are exerting an increasing burden on healthcare systems which were originally designed to address acute medical conditions. This is affecting the health and quality of life of millions of patients around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which WHO defines as four of the chronic disease areas of cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and respiratory diseases, cause an estimated 38 million deaths a year. This represents 60% of all deaths globally with 80% of deaths due to NCDs occurring in low and middle income countries. The management of chronic conditions requires the involvement of individual patients who adhere to their treatments, make behavioural changes and self-manage.