World health statistics quarterly. Rapport trimestriel de statistiques sanitaires mondiales
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World Health Stat Q · Jan 1988
The global impact of noncommunicable diseases: estimates and projections.
With the aging of populations in developing countries there is both a demographic and an epidemiological transition which affects the impact of chronic degenerative diseases on the health status of the populations. Demographic transition takes place in countries where there are effective programmes of disease control which allow for survival during the early years of childhood and adolescence. This results in an increase in life expectancy which places larger proportions of the population in the age range (60 years and older) in which chronic degenerative diseases become the major determinants of health status. ⋯ The major differences are seen to be in the proportions of deaths expected from such diseases as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cirrhosis; but not in the distribution of age at death which is the better measure of disease impact. Demographic analyses, computing indirect estimates of mortality, also demonstrate that there are currently more chronic disease deaths in developing than developed countries and that as expectation of life increases in developing countries the global chronic disease burden will be greatly concentrated in the developing countries. Analyses of risk-factor reduction by feasible intervention strategies, e.g. smoking cessation campaigns, treatment of high blood pressure, using relationships between risk factors and diseases established in longitudinal studies carried out in developed countries, point out that the effect of risk-factor control in long-living populations can be hidden by the dependency of risk factors and various related causes of death, e.g. smoking has an impact on lung cancer, ischaemic heart disease and emphysema, but at different ages.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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Anthropometry (the use of body measurements to assess nutritional status) is a practical and immediately applicable technique for assessing children's development patterns during the first years of life. An evaluation of their growth also provides useful insights into the nutrition and health situation of entire population groups. Anthropometric indicators are less accurate than clinical and biochemical techniques when it comes to assessing individual nutritional status. ⋯ Intercountry trend comparisons are difficult for two main reasons. Firstly, the time between surveys is occasionally different and, secondly, despite efforts to standardize data analysis and presentation, different cut-off points have been used to calculate prevalence figures and estimate the extent of undernutrition. However, the use of identical cut-off points is not essential for making intercountry trend analyses since it is the general trends in growth deficit and nutritional status over time which are being evaluated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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World Health Stat Q · Jan 1988
Integrated programme for noncommunicable diseases prevention and control (NCD).
In spite of the difference between developed and developing countries, health conditions change in a predictable pattern: the mortality and morbidity rates caused by infectious diseases decline while the rates related to non-infectious pathology increase. Taking into account the increasing importance of noncommunicable diseases, the majority of countries are developing a set of disease-oriented (cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, etc.) prevention and control programmes as well as factor-oriented programmes such as anti-smoking, alcohol abuse and nutrition. ⋯ The four main directions being developed for the realization of this programme are: experimental testing, mathematical modelling, training activity and research development: At present WHO headquarters: has established 18 demonstration projects in 15 countries for experimental testing of different intervention programmes; is collecting mathematical models for prediction of efficacy and effectiveness of different alternatives and scenarios; is developing different types of training courses; is investigating the competing risk among noncommunicable diseases and time lag for different intervention programmes, etc. In order to develop all these directions many collaborating centres are participating, and close cooperation with some nongovernmental organizations has been established.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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World Health Stat Q · Jan 1985
Microcomputer applications in health population surveys: experience and potential in developing countries.
Regrettably, because the content and technology are evolving so rapidly the literature on the application of microcomputer technology to health and development is either out of date, or hard to find (e.g. unpublished reports from consultants working with development agencies or universities). The time needed to review and publish an article or a book dictates that by the time it is published, any statements about current hardware will be obsolete. For example, a recent volume by Ingle et al., quite sound from the theoretical and practical point of view is already out of date with respect to hardware details. ⋯ Compare options. Standardization and compatibility must be considered in all applications. This is important!(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)