How to succeed in fighting NCDs? We need to (really) work together

Tackling non-communicable diseases is considered the next frontier in global health for the international development community, so what do NGOs need to change in the way they work to position themselves for success?

Work together at ground level, Fathimath Himya, senior program officer for health at the Maldivian Red Crescent Society, told Devex Associate Editor Richard Jones in this video interview on the sidelines of a recent #4HealthyHabits reception, co-hosted in Geneva by the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

In the Maldives, she explained, Red Crescent teams are working closely with the government to connect public health facilities to the communities they serve, and said there is definitely room to work with the private sector.

Himya noted how in many developing countries, the population affected by NCDs lacks local sources of treatment and must seek them abroad, which is of course much more expensive.

A great way to address this problem, she suggested, is to educate the population on a healthier lifestyle as an alternative to spending their hard-earned money on medicines in the future.

Click on the above clips to learn more insights from Himya on encouraging local solutions for healthy habits, and why recognizing bad habits is the first step toward becoming healthier and better protected against NCDs.

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