Non-Communicable Diseases

Now is the time to focus on non-communicable diseases 

...if a radical course correction is not made within the next 12 months, the global goal of controlling some of the biggest killers in the world today will not be achieved.

—Richard Horton

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer account for over 70% of all deaths, of which nearly half are in people younger than 60 years. The Sustainable Development Goals commit countries to reducing premature mortality from NCDs by a third. After too many years of inaction, 2018 must be a pivotal year for progress towards the defeat of NCDs.

The Lancet believes that great research requires development, mobilisation, and exposure. We intend to do just that with a year-long focus on NCDs. 

In the lead up to the third UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs, the Lancet family of journals will publish several major initiatives to ensure the best evidence is at the heart of policies to reduce the global burden of NCDs. To stay updated during this critically important period for global health, you can sign up on this page to receive a dedicated e-newsletter, In Focus: NCDs. 

We will soon publish the Lancet Taskforce on NCDs and economics, led by Rachel Nugent and Robert Beaglehole. The Taskforce is an official partner to WHO’s Independent High-Level Commission on NCDs, and will be launched during a plenary session at the WHO Global Dialogue on Financing for Prevention and Control of NCDs, to be held in Copenhagen on April 9-11.

Be amongst the first to access to the best evidence, related updates, and commentary. Register today.