Rise of NCDs is 'growing but under-addressed challenge' in developed and developing countries

"The rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs)" is "a growing but under-addressed challenge in both the developed and developing world," Jean-Luc Butel, executive vice president and group president for Medtronic's international operations, writes in a Muskegon Chronicle opinion piece. "[S]hifting demographics, lifestyles and environmental factors in places like China and India have led to a dramatic increase in NCDs," he writes, adding that "[e]stimates suggest NCDs will account for three out of every four deaths globally by 2030."

According to Butel, this increase is occurring "[in] part because NCDs have received insufficient attention from the international community," and while "[t]he private sector has a pivotal role to play … [g]overnments, international institutions and other stakeholders have important work to do as well." He concludes, "It is time for the public and private sector to mobilize, working together to solve our generation's greatest health and development challenge" (8/11).