London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Evolution and control of NCD in Pacific Island states and issues concerning surveillance

Pacific Island states show great diversity and the entire range of the epidemiological transition. Previous studies have demonstrated considerable magnitude of NCD and risk factor prevalence in some states, but trend data have not been available. Information on mortality and life expectancy are often contradictory, and cause of death data fragmentary, unreliable, or unavailable. Yet this information is urgently required for: (1) assessment of the magnitude and distribution of NCD morbidity and mortality; and (2) evaluation of the effects of interventions though assessment of trends in illness and premature adult mortality from NCD. This presentation provides evidence of increasing trends in NCD and risk factors in Fiji, Tonga and Samoa (in particular) despite prevention and control activities over decades, and effects on premature adult mortality and life expectancy. Also discussed are the difficulties encountered (and some solutions) in surveillance of trends in both population NCD risk factors, and mortality and cause of death. The presentation is based on recently published articles and work in progress.

The presentation is designed for postgraduate students and faculty, and focuses on empirical data analysed by the presenter and his team, including methodological aspects.

Professor Richard Taylor MBBS(Syd), DTMH(Lon), FRCP(UK), PhD(Syd), FAFPHM, is Professor of Public and International Health, in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine (SPHCM), Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) located in Sydney, Australia. He is a public health medical epidemiologist with over 30 years’ experience in the Asia-Pacific region (and Australia and New Zealand) in studies frequently employing surveillance data for evaluation of population health interventions.