National action plan for non-communicable diseases prevention and control in Iran; a response to emerging epidemic

Abstract

Emerging Non-communicable diseases burden move United Nation to call for 25% reduction by 2025 in premature mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The World Health Organization (WHO) developed global action plan for prevention and control NCDs, but the countries’ contexts, priorities, and health care system might be different. Therefore, WHO expects from countries to meet national commitments to achieve the 25 by 25 goal through adapted targets and action plan.In this regards, sustainable high-level political statement plays a key role in rules and regulation support, and multi-sectoral collaborations to NCDs’ prevention and control by considering the sustainable development goals and universal health coverage factors.Therefore, Iran established the national authority’s structure as Iranian Non Communicable Diseases Committee (INCDC) and developed NCDs’ national action plan through multi-sectoral approach and collaboration researchers and policy makers. Translation Iran’s expertise could be benefit to mobilizing leadership in other countries for practical action to save the millions of peoples.

Investigating the Role of International Law in Controlling Communicable Diseases

“…According to the World Health Organization regulations, access to medicine aims to promote access to medicines for all. In no field of world public health, no tension was explicitly observed between the TRIPs and access to essential medicines and the pressure of the AIDS epidemic in vulnerable populations in developing countries, especially in South Africa (22). There are, however, pitched battles against the intellectual property rights between the global economy and pharmaceutical company owners and human rights and civil society groups (2,15,16).…”

“…This complexity can be observed in recognizing the litigation by thirty-nine influential multinational pharmaceutical companies against the Government of South Africa in 1998 and the complaint filed by the USA against Brazil at the WTO. In November 2001, a WTO Ministerial Conference adopted the Doha Declaration, which recognized the gravity of the public health problems afflicting many developing countries, especially HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other epidemics (3,6,11,22). Hence, the TRIPs Agreement must be interpreted and implemented in such a way that the WTO members have the right to protect the public health and to promote access to medicine (12,17,19).…”

Prevalence of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in Yazd inner-city municipalities

“…In Iran, an unhealthy diet and metabolic risk factors are the most common risk factors for NCDs followed by tobacco smoking, air pollution, low physical activity, and alcohol consumption [4]. The association between cardiovascular disease and their risk factors and socioeconomic factors has been reported in many studies [12][13][14].…”

A multi-sectoral approach to combatting non-communicable diseases: Iran’s experience

“…High burden of NCDs and annual loss of thousands people due to non-communicable diseases as high political commitment to tackle NCDs in Iran [9]. Accordingly, Iran has established National Non-Communicable Diseases Committee (INCDC) through multi-sectoral mechanism and partnership of all sectors in the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and other related sectors and ministries, organizations, NGOs, and communities [10]. INCDC was developed as a national action plan for prevention and control of NCDs in a duration of 2015 to 2025 by means of thirteen targets which includes nine WHO targets and four targets specifically designed for Iran.…”

“…These country-specific targets include: (i) reducing trans fatty acid in food products, (ii) decreasing traffic injures, (iii) decrease in drug abuse related mortality, and (iv) promotion of mental health [11]. This multi-sectoral plan was approved by the Supreme Council for Health and Food Security (SCHFS) and obtained support of the President (who chairs the supreme council), the Speaker of the Parliament, the Vice President and nine minister from other ministries [10]. Today, this highly-endorsed NCDs national action plan consists the foundation of Iranian health policy against non-communicable diseases in Iran.…”