The Rise of NCDs Necessitates a Range of Adjustments by Health Systems in Australia

Running head: NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
The Rise of NCDs Necessitates a Range of Adjustments by Health Systems in Australia
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NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
Introduction
Prevention and control of infectious disease, financial improvements and
technological advancement in the healthcare domain have contributed to the overall increase
in the life expectancy and improved quality of life of the people. This in turn has increased
the likelihood of living up to the age of 60 years and beyond. Apart from this notable
achievement, there are lifestyle-related shifts, epidemiological changes. This modification in
the socio-demographic structure has increased the burden of non-communicable diseases
(NCDs) (Chaker et al. 2015). Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are chronic conditions
which manifests with slow progression and are difficult to cure. The four most common
NCDs include cancers, cardio-vascular disease diabetes and chronic respiratory disease
(Kroll, Phalkey and Kraas 2015). In Australia, NCDs account to 91% of the total deaths. This
increase in the rate of occurrence and mortality of non-communicable disease in Australia is
attributable to the increase in total percentage of aged population, rapid urbanization and
lifestyle changes.

NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
Figure: Australian Statistics of NCDs
(Source: WHO 2017)
According to the World Health Organisation [WHO] (2017), prevalence of NCDs is
overburdening the healthcare system which is further aggravating the impact of NCDs. It is
estimated that the NCDs as cast a cumulative economic loss of 13.2 billion USD per year in
Australia during the tenure of 2011 to 2015 (Chaker et al. 2015). This rising economic and
health burden of NCDs necessitates the certain adjustments in the health care system along
with proper institutionalization surveillance system to track the trends of NCDs along with
the evaluation of the outcomes (Chaker et al. 2015). The following essay aims to analyse the
change in the healthcare system undertaken by the Australian government in order to cope up
with the increase rate of occurrence of the NCDs.

NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
Global Action Plan: WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO)'s Global Action Plan for the Prevention and
Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (2013–2020) is mainly based on the modifiable risk
factors that are associated with the course of development of the NCDs. The government of
Australia has made adjustments in their healthcare system based on the global action plan
drafted by WHO.
Tobacco
One of the prime targets towards reduction of the premature deaths arising out of the
non-communicable disease includes tobacco smoking. Smoking of tobacco accounts for
about majority of the casualties arising out of the non-communicable diseases like
cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes and cancer (Glantz and
Gonzalez 2012). Lowering the consumption of tobacco reduces the susceptibility of
developing NCDs, delayed onset and decrease in the overall healthcare cost (Glantz and
Gonzalez 2012). The WHO Convection of Tobacco Control is mainly based on reducing the
affordability of the tobacco, banning smoking in public, banning advertisements related to
tobacco and banning sales of tobacco to and by the children via effective monitoring and
enforcement. Apart from these changes in the administrative and the policy level, WHO has
also drafted change in the health care system in order reduce the threats coming from the
tobacco smoking in the development of NCDs. The WHO proposed to implement affordable
treatment for tobacco dependence along with supporting interventions for smoking cessation
in primary care and affordable pharmacological therapies (Magnusson and Patterson 2015).
The Government of Australia has implemented special smoking cessation therapy in order to
decrease the rare of tobacco dependence and this includes Nicotine Replacement Therapy.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy or bupropion slow release is considered as an effective aid to
motivate the smokers to quit smoking. This therapy is devoid of significant contradiction and