Chronic diseases: definition

1. Chronic diseases:definition Chronic diseases are diseases of long duration and generally slow progression. Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes, are by far the leading cause of mortality in the world, representing 63% of all deaths.

2. Africa's chronic disease burden

3. Burdenof chronic diseases What cardiovascular disease cancer respiratory disease diabetes Why increased life expectancy changing lifestyle practices poverty urbanization globalization

4. Response to acute communicable diseases and diseases of environmental degradation & pollution hospitals & clinics lack basic equipment for effective diagnosis and treatment few health workers have specialist chronic disease training chronic disease knowledge among health workers is poor

5. Medical dimensions of chronic disease in Africa

6. Psychological dimensions of chronic disease in Africa depression 'chronic unhappiness‘ spiritual distress 'psychiatric disturbance‘ [pattern of psychological or behavioral symptoms that causes an individual significant distress, impairs their ability to function in life, and/or significantly increases their risk of death, pain, disability, or loss of freedom] 'suicidal ideation‘ [thoughts about suicide]

7. healer shopping

8. Stigma

9. burden of care of the chronically ill is carried by patients' families, households and communities

10. National and international dimensions of fighting chronic disease

11. Barriers lack of political will weak culture of knowledge transfer