This regional report provides the results of the 2019 noncommunicable disease (NCD) country capacity survey in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. It offers an overview of the current capacities of the countries of the Region to prevent and control NCDs particularly in regard to the four key areas of: governance; prevention and reduction of risk factors; surveillance; monitoring and evaluation; and health care. The report aims to inform the work of decision-makers in ministries of health and other sectors related to health as well as NCD managers physicians clinicians researchers the media and others.

"This report sets out the statistics, evidence and experiences needed to launch a more forceful response to the growing threat posed by noncommunicable diseases. While advice and recommendations are universally relevant, the report gives particular attention to conditions in low- and middle-income countries, which now bear nearly 80% of the burden from diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases. The health consequences of the worldwide epidemic of obesity are also addressed. The report takes an analytical approach, using global, regional and country-specific data to document the magnitude of the problem, project future trends, and assess the factors contributing to these trends. As noted, the epidemic of these diseases is being driven by forces now touching every region of the world: demographic aging, rapid unplanned urbanization, and the globalization of unhealthy lifestyles"--Publisher's description.

This global status report on prevention and control of NCDs (2014), is framed around the nine voluntary global targets. The report provides data on the current situation, identifying bottlenecks as well as opportunities and priority actions for attaining the targets. The 2010 baseline estimates on NCD mortality and risk factors are provided so that countries can report on progress, starting in 2015. In addition, the report also provides the latest available estimates on NCD mortality (2012) and risk factors, 2010-2012. All ministries of health need to set national NCD targets and lead the development and implementation of policies and interventions to attain them. There is no single pathway to attain NCD targets that fits all countries, as they are at different points in their progress in the prevention and control of NCDs and at different levels of socioeconomic development. However all countries can benefit from the comprehensive response to attaining the voluntary global targets presented in this report.--Publisher description.