Pragmatic Trials for Noncommunicable Diseases: Relieving Constraints

Abstract

At the 65th World Health Assembly in 2012, all World Health Organization member states made a historic commitment to reduce premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases) by 25% by 2025. Subsequently, the World Health Assembly in 2013 agreed to adopt a global monitoring framework that included nine ambitious global NCD targets for 2025 [1]. These targets address key risk factors including tobacco and alcohol use, physical inactivity, high salt intake, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity and also the availability of basic technologies and medicines for the prevention and treatment of major NCDs.