Public Health and Non-Communicable Diseases

The WUN Public Health Global Challenge emphasizes a life-course approach to opportunities for addressing non-communicable diseases especially in low and middle income countries and transitioning populations but also in developed societies where there are social disparities in risk. This focus is based on substantial evidence for the inextricable linkage between maternal, perinatal, infant and childhood factors and the risk of developing NCDs later in life, through changing the sensitivity to later life exposures. It is recognised in addition that some non-communicable diseases are linked to communicable disease and some have genetic predisposing factors. Particular attention will be paid to both population- and individual-based approaches to increase access to education, to promote health literacy in children, adolescents and parents and to empowering women, both to reduce the burden of NCDs and to provide other benefits such as gender equality and promoting neurocognitive capacities. Links with ongoing global initiatives such as those linked to the Millennium Development Goals, maternal and child health, food security etc. should be sought.