There is now widespread recognition of the global epidemiologic transition from infectious to chronic disease. However, at the present time only a handful of the world’s countries, those in the highly industrialized rich world, have any substantial public health infrastructure to deal with the classic public health approaches, namely assessing the magnitude of the problem (surveillance), considering how to reduce the burden (prevention and control), and developing initiatives that improve the situation (health promotion). This presentation reviews, on a regional basis, efforts to develop this infrastructure with particular attention to two critical areas: 1) the development of behavioral risk factor surveillance to assess the real causes of chronic disease, and 2) the international search for evidence-based evaluations of effective community-based interventions in health promotion. This presentation will include an overview of current CDC and other international efforts in the areas of behavioral risk factor surveillance and evaluation/evidence of health promotion, as well as needs in strengthening these areas for the next decade. Policy implications will be given for increased efforts in surveillance and evaluation, as well as working directly with countries to increase non-communicable disease prevention efforts. Suggestions will be made for increasing work through partnerships with international governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as intersectoral collaborations.
Learning Objectives: (1) Describe the global lack of public health infrastructure for surveillance, disease prevention and control, and health promotion strategies. (2) Identify efforts in the development of behavioral risk factor surveillance and the search for evidence-based evaluations of effective community-based health promotion interventions. (3) Give examples of major policy implications for increasing efforts in behavioral risk factor surveillance and health promotion evaluation.
Keywords: Surveillance, Infrastructure
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.