Women and the Rapid Rise of Noncommunicable Diseases

As the world struggles to cope with communicable diseases like TB and HIV/AIDS, noncommunicable diseases (including mental disorders and injuries) are rapidly on the rise. The rapid rise in noncommunicable diseases represents one of the major health challenges to global economic and social development. It disproportionately affects those in greatest need – the poor, often women and children, and contributes to increasing health inequalities between and within countries. The conditions in which people live and their lifestyles influence their health and quality of life. The most prominent noncommunicable diseases are linked to common risk factors, namely, tobacco use, alcohol abuse, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and environmental carcinogens. These risk factors have economic, social, gender, political, behavioural, and environmental determinants. Improved understanding of the risk factors and their determinants provides opportunities for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases. This paper describes some of the determinants of the rapid rise in noncommunicable diseases and the challenges this advance poses. It pays specific attention to the impact of noncommunicable diseases on women. Health is linked to status in society. It benefits from equality and suffers from discrimination. For women, the rapid rise in noncommunicable diseases not only affects their health directly, it can also severely impact on their assumed gender role as unpaid carers of the sick. Introduction The rapid rise of noncommunicable diseases represents one of the major health challenges to global economic and social development. It disproportionately affects the poor and disadvantaged populations, and contributes to widening health gaps between and within countries. The conditions in which people live and their lifestyles influence their health and quality of life. The most prominent noncommunicable diseases are linked to common risk factors, namely, tobacco use, alcohol abuse, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and environmental carcinogens. These risk factors have economic, social, gender, political, behavioural, and environmental determinants. Improved understanding of the risk factors and their determinants provides opportunities for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases. This paper describes some of the determinants of the rapid rise in noncommunicable diseases and the challenges this advance poses. It pays specific attention to the impact on women. Health is linked to status in society. It benefits from equality and suffers from discrimination. For women, the rapid rise in noncommunicable diseases not only affects their health directly, it can also severely impact on their assumed gender role as unpaid carers of the sick.