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Chronic Conditions Chief Cause of Death Globally According to World Health Organization
The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) has called on healthcare leaders and policymakers in the United States to lead the global fight against chronic disease in response to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) release of World Health Statistics 2008. Read more...
This annual report found that chronic conditions are now the chief cause of death globally.
"This report tells us that the devastating impact of chronic disease is not only a problem here in the United States, but is increasingly becoming a problem for the entire world," said Dr. Ken Thorpe, professor and chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and executive director of PFCD.
"To win this fight, we must bring to bear our collective knowledge and expertise on how to promote health and wellness," he continued. "In the United States, we can begin by adopting private and public policies that promote healthy lifestyle habits and enhance the wellness of Americans."
To help find solutions, on Thursday, June 5, at an event in Washington, D.C., PFCD will release a publication, Promising Practices in Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, that showcases programs and policies with proven success in addressing this crisis.
PFCD recently issued a comprehensive Almanac of Chronic Disease highlighting the impact of chronic disease on Americans’ health, healthcare and the U.S. economy.
PFCD is a national coalition of patients, providers, community organizations, business and labor groups, and health policy experts committed to raising awareness of the No. 1 cause of death, disability and rising healthcare costs in the United States: chronic disease.
PFCD's mission is to:
- Challenge policymakers - in particular, the 2008 presidential candidates - to make fighting chronic disease a top priority and articulate how they will address the issue in their healthcare proposals
- Educate the public about chronic disease and potential solutions for individuals, communities and the nation
- Mobilize Americans to call for change in how policymakers, governments, employers, health institutions and other entities approach chronic disease
Visit the PFCD Web site for more information about PFCD and its partner organizations.
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