Fighting noncommunicable diseases isn’t as straightforward as tackling polio or malaria.
Although there are factors that complicate health professionals’ efforts to combat infectious diseases — health workers providing anti-polio vaccines in Pakistan have been killed by militants, for example — vaccines are often enough to prevent incidences.
This is not the case with NCDs. Insufficient physical activity, when coupled with poor eating habits, could lead to obesity, which cannot be prevented with a vaccine.
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About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
