State of Non-Communicable Disease Prevention, Treatment and Surveillance in Armenia
Name: Dhwani Babla
School: Mailman School of Public Health, Class of 2021
Mentor: Kim Hekimian, PhD
Abstract
Globally, the high rate of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is a growing cause of concern. In Armenia, 93% of all deaths are due to NCDs and of these, 44% were a result of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). In addition to its clear impact on human health, NCDs also have a high economic cost. In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified five selected best buy intervention packages for Armenia to decrease the burden of NCDs globally. Based on these suggestions, our analysis of the literature and key informant interviews, we developed a roadmap for future action on two of the five selected interventions. The first best buy is focused on salt reduction while the second one is on further developing and strengthening the Armenian CVD and diabetes clinical interventions. Salt intake in Armenia is estimated to be twice the WHO recommendation, which contributed to 26% of CVDs in the country. The WHO has recognized salt reduction as one of the most cost-effective interventions with numerous success stories around the globe. Despite the evidence, Armenia has achieved close to none of the recommended strategies. On the other hand, Armenia has taken positive steps to address the state of their clinical interventions focused on CVD and diabetes. More work needs to be done to strengthen their interventions and to ensure consistency across the country. The goal of our roadmap is to provide clear directions to policy-makers, researchers and funders for further action on NCDs prevention, control, and surveillance in Armenia.