COPSAC Retreat

TRANSLATIONAL CLINICAL RESEARCH IN CHILDREN
Shared Origins in Early Life of Chronic Disorders
COPSAC Retreat, June 19^th -20^th, 2013

Increasing frequency of asthma, eczema, allergy, diabetes, obesity, inflammatory bowel diseases, cognitive and motoric development, behavioral disturbances as well as diseases related to disturbed growth and reproductive development now represents significant societal and scientific challenges. With a stable genetic pool, this increase geographically and temporally offers evidence of an environmental influence. However, we have a limited understanding of how the complex exposome of modern life is interacting with susceptible genes and the search for the seemingly strong environmental influence has largely failed to provide evidence-based recommendations that may lower the population’s risk of these diseases.
The aim of this 2-day retreat on the 19^th and 20^th of June is to increase the understanding of the origins of major pediatric diseases such as asthma, eczema, allergy, diabetes, obesity, inflammatory bowl diseases, disturbances of cognitive and motoric development, behavior, growth, and reproduction. We aim to translate this understanding into clinical practice, improving prevention, diagnosis and treatment to assure normal growth and development.
The target group is PhD students and post-graduate researchers. At the final day a certificate of participation can be achieved.
The venue will be at the scenic Sonnerupgaard Gods on the countryside of Zealand, about 45 min from Copenhagen.
The faculty is lead by Hans Bisgaard, MD, DMSci, Professor of Pediatrics, Copenhagen University Hospital Gentofte and consists of invited international speakers, please see the programme.

Contact: retreat@dbac.dk

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8th Global Conference on Health Promotion

The 8th Global Conference on Health Promotion (8GCHP) focuses on how to promote health and equity by implementing the Health in All Policies approach - an approach to public policies across sectors that systematically takes the health implications of decisions into account.

The key outcomes of the Conference will be a conference statement and "Health in All Policies (HiAP) Framework for Country Action” which will give countries concrete guidance on how to implement Health in All Policies. 

The Conference is the eighth in the Global Conferences on Health Promotion series, the first one being the Ottawa conference held in Canada in 1986.

8GCHP will be held in Helsinki, Finland, from 10 to 14 June 2013. The conference is co-organized by the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health of Finland.

More information

• 8th Global Conference on Health Promotion

From, WHO/Europe

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Summer programme on noncommunicable diseases and the law

The summer programme will bring together leading practitioners, policymakers, advocates, and academics in global health to explore the role and implications of law in the global response to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). It will take place at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University on 17-21 June 2013, in Washington D.C., USA.

Through interactive lectures, panels, and case studies, participants will learn to analyze the legal powers, duties, and constraints imposed by national and international law in the context of NCDs and will be equipped with the skills to critically assess the merits of new legal approaches to address NCDs.

After undertaking the programme, participants should have a comprehensive understanding of:

• the global burden of NCDs;
• contemporary developments at the international level;
• innovative examples of good practice at the national and global level;
• international instruments governing the regulation of NCDs;
• the intersection of human rights and NCDs; and
• the intersection of trade, investment and NCDs.

Applications will be accepted until 18 May 2013.

Information and inscription here.

From, WHO/Europe

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Noncommunicable diseases - WHO European Region

A relatively small group of health conditions is responsible for a large part of the disease burden in Europe. Of the six WHO regions, the European Region is the most affected by noncommunicable diseases, and their growth is startling. The impact of the major noncommunicable diseases (diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and mental disorders) is equally alarming: taken together, these five conditions account for an estimated 86% of the deaths and 77% of the disease burden in the Region.

Noncommunicable diseases are linked by common risk factors, underlying determinants and opportunities for intervention – high blood pressure, tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, high blood cholesterol, overweight, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity - hugely increased by lifestyle and demographic changes.

The noncommunicable disease epidemic affects all countries, but low- and middle-income countries carry an additional burden as their health systems usually have fewer resources for the prevention and early detection of disease, as well as to provide comprehensive health care to those with diseases. Inequalities and the social determinants of health, including gender, play a role. People in the most disadvantaged groups are at greater risk not only because they have poorer access to health services, but also because they have fewer resources in terms of education, employment, housing, participation in civic society and control over their lives, to make healthy lifestyle choices.

WHO/Europe develops norms and standards, guidance and public health tools to help countries implement effective programmes and address risk factors.

From, http://www.euro.who.int/en/what-we-do/health-topics/noncommunicable-diseases

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Risk Targets and Risk Factors

Who is at risk of such diseases?

All age groups and all regions are affected by NCDs. NCDs are often associated with older age groups, but evidence shows that more than 9 million of all deaths attributed to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) occur before the age of 60. Of these "premature" deaths, 90% occurred in low- and middle-income countries. Children, adults and the elderly are all vulnerable to the risk factors that contribute to noncommunicable diseases, whether from unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, exposure to tobacco smoke or the effects of the harmful use of alcohol.

These diseases are driven by forces that include ageing, rapid unplanned urbanization, and the globalization of unhealthy lifestyles. For example, globalization of unhealthy lifestyles like unhealthy diets may show up in individuals as raised blood pressure, increased blood glucose, elevated blood lipids, overweight and obesity. These are called 'intermediate risk factors' which can lead to cardiovascular disease, a NCD.

Risk factors

Modifiable behavioural risk factors

Tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and the harmful use of alcohol increase the risk of or cause most NCDs.

• Tobacco accounts for almost 6 million deaths every year (including over 600 000 deaths from exposure to second-hand smoke), and is projected to increase to 8 million by 2030.
• About 3.2 million deaths annually can be attributed to insufficient physical activity.
• Approximately 1.7 million deaths are attributable to low fruit and vegetable consumption.
• Half of the 2.3² million annual deaths from harmful drinking are from NCDs.

Metabolic/physiological risk factors

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Prevention and control of NCD's

Prevention and control of NCD's

To lessen the impact of NCDs on individuals and society, a comprehensive approach is needed that requires all sectors, including health, finance, foreign affairs, education, agriculture, planning and others, to work together to reduce the risks associated with NCDs, as well as promote the interventions to prevent and control them.

An important way to reduce NCDs is to focus on lessening the risk factors associated with these diseases. Low-cost solutions exist to reduce the common modifiable risk factors (mainly tobacco use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, and the harmful use of alcohol) and map the epidemic of NCDs and their risk factors (1).

Other ways to reduce NCDs are high impact essential NCD interventions that can be delivered through a primary health-care approach to strengthen early detection and timely treatment. Evidence shows that such interventions are excellent economic investments because, if applied to patients early, can reduce the need for more expensive treatment. These measures can be implemented in various resource levels. The greatest impact can be achieved by creating healthy public policies that promote NCD prevention and control and reorienting health systems to address the needs of people with such diseases.

Lower-income countries generally have lower capacity for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases.

High-income countries are nearly four times more likely to have NCD services covered by health insurance than low-income countries. Countries with inadequate health insurance coverage are unlikely to provide universal access to essential NCD interventions.

WHO response

The 2008-2013 Action plan of the global strategy for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases provides Member States, WHO and international partners with steps on how to address NCDs in countries.

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Socioeconomic impacts of NCD's

What are the socioeconomic impacts of NCDs?

NCDs threaten progress towards the UN Millennium Development Goals. Poverty is closely linked with NCDs. The rapid rise in NCDs is predicted to impede poverty reduction initiatives in low-income countries, particularly by forcing up household costs associated with health care. Vulnerable and socially disadvantaged people get sicker and die sooner than people of higher social positions, especially because they are at greater risk of being exposed to harmful products, such as tobacco or unhealthy food, and have limited access to health services.

In low-resource settings, health-care costs for cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes or chronic lung diseases can quickly drain household resources, driving families into poverty. The exorbitant costs of NCDs, including often lengthy and expensive treatment and loss of breadwinners, are forcing millions of people into poverty annually, stifling development.

In many countries, harmful drinking and unhealthy diet and lifestyles occur both in higher and lower income groups. However, high-income groups can access services and products that protect them from the greatest risks while lower-income groups can often not afford such products and services.

from World Health Organization,

Fact sheet 
Updated March 2013

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs355/en/

(SEE ALSO NCD's, what are they?)

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