The Pan American Journal of Public Health, which is published by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), has released a special issue focused on improving primary health care to tackle noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the Americas.
Noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular conditions, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory illnesses are now the leading cause of death across the region. In 2021, these diseases caused six million deaths, with almost 40 percent occurring in people younger than 70 years old.
More than 250 million people in the Americas are currently living with an NCD and need continuous care for better disease management. Research indicates that many premature deaths from NCDs can be prevented if primary health care services are more accessible and of higher quality.
The journal's special issue includes a series of scientific articles documenting efforts led by ministries of health, academic bodies, civil society organizations, and PAHO to enhance screening, diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing management of NCDs at the primary care level. The publication highlights PAHO’s Better Care for NCDs initiative—which features programs like HEARTS—as having contributed to improved management of hypertension and other NCDs within primary care settings in several countries.
The studies suggest that strengthening primary care for NCDs is both practical and cost-effective. This strategy is described as crucial for reaching the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target to reduce premature deaths from NCDs by one-third by 2030.
This special edition was made possible with financial support from the Government of Denmark through WHO. It brings together research and experiences from countries including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago. The topics covered include clinical guideline implementation, integrated models of care, and how social factors affect adherence to treatments. The importance of focusing on patients and communities is also emphasized.
Articles are being published gradually in Spanish, English, or Portuguese depending on submission language.
