New survey results enhance Cuba's NCD surveillance: Mariano Bonet MD, Director, National Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology Institute.

Mariano Bonet: The fi rst is the leading role that governments must play in stemming the NCD pandemic—the importance of political will—because turning back the tide isn’t only just a problem for the health sector, health ministries, or health professionals. Its magnitude and the fact that chronic disease risk factors are inextricably linked with all aspects of people’s lives means that governments have to marshal all the agencies at their command to lead a multisectoral effort. But the fi ght doesn’t stop there: to be effective, social actors of all kinds have to be involved: civil society, churches, communities, neighborhoods, and families themselves have to become willing, empowered participants in stopping the fl ood of NCDs.