PRIMARY PREVENTION: AVOIDING NON COMMUNICABLE DISEASES BY REDUCING EARLY LIFE EXPOSURES Developmental Origins of Health and NonCommunicable Diseases

More than 35 million deaths per year—60 percent of all global deaths—are attributed to NCDs, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and chronic lung diseases.1 Approximately 80 percent of these deaths are recorded in low to middle income countries; over the next decade, some of these coun­ tries will experience an increase in NCDs that is measurably higher than the anticipated 17 percent average increase worldwide. NCDs create an im­ mense burden, affecting not only individuals and their families, but also economies and health care ser­ vices. The United Nations General Assembly, in recognition of the impact of NCDs, recently held an international summit to devise strategies to control the risk of NCDs.