NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES - DISEASES OF EXCESS

5467 WORDS

Non-Communicable diseases – often referred to as “Diseases of Excess” or “Diseases of Affluence” – are increasing in both rich and poor countries. What factors are contributing to this trend? What are the implications for public health policy?

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO, 1948) where as “Disease is a condition where any deviation from or interruption of the normal structure or function of any body part, organ, or system that is manifested by a characteristic set of symptoms and signs and whose etiology, pathology, and prognosis may be known or unknown” (Dorland’s Medical Dictionary, 2007). Disease can be divided broadly into two categories as Communicable and Non Communicable Diseases (on the basis of its spread). Communicable disease is a disease which can spread from one individual to other through any carrier/organism (Malaria, HIV/AIDS, etc). It is also known as “Infectious or Contagious” disease. There are many factors responsible for the cause of communicable diseases like social, environmental, sanitation and education. Non Communicable disease is a disease which is not communicated from one individual from another (Hypertension, Cancer, etc). It is also known as “Chronic diseases’ because these diseases takes lot of time to show the sign and symptoms within an individual. The major causes for NCDs are lifestyle, habits like smoking and alcohol, inadequate diet and physical inactivity.

Communicable diseases was reported to be the major cause of death in earlier time where as Non Communicable diseases(NCD’s) are of major threat in current era except in some countries like Africa where still people die out of infections. In some countries like USA, the leading cause of