Blog

What’s a Non-Communicable Disease and Why do I Care?

August 14th, 2012

By 2030, non-communicable diseases will cause five times as many deaths as HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria COMBINED. With numbers so staggering how could I not have known? But learning what NCDs are was only the beginning of my journey. As a communications intern for Arogya World, I began to delve into the research trying to piece together the implications of NCDs. And what I learned is troublesome.

NCD Case Studies: “Best buys” for combating non-communicable disease

August 9th, 2012

Over the past year I had the opportunity to work as a Policy and Advocacy Intern for Arogya World, and during that time I developed case studies on what works in the prevention of and fight against non-communicable diseases. Four case studies have been completed now, each with a different approach on what are the “best buys” for combating the global NCD pandemic.

4 Financial Reasons Companies Need to Focus on Employee Wellness

July 5th, 2012

June was National Employee Wellness Month, sponsored by Virgin HealthMiles, an enterprise designed to help companies understand the value of helping employees to maintain their health and to share strategic ways in which to incorporate healthful behaviors into the workday. More than just a feel-good campaign, investing in employee wellness is a smart business decision year-round. As we look back on Employee Wellness Month, here are four ways that addressing employee wellness just makes good cents, pun intended.

Together, the U.S. and India Have What it Takes to Tackle NCDs

June 16th, 2012

Secretary Clinton’s inspiring piece on how the interests of the U.S. and India are aligned on issue after issue (India and the United States: A Focus on the Fundamentals) compelled me to articulate one more way in which the world’s two biggest democracies could pave the way for international co-operation. This is a remarkable opportunity for the U.S. and India to join together in addressing NCDs, chronic non-communicable diseases.

25 by 25: A Big Win in the Fight Against NCDs

May 25th, 2012

An amazing thing happened during the 65th World Health Assembly in Geneva this past week. Governments set the stage to agree to a historic target to reduce premature deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs – including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases) by 25% by 2025.

Perspectives on NCDs and their Impact

May 22nd, 2012

Arogya World recently had the opportunity to discuss NCDs with none other than Sir George Alleyne, Director Emeritus of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). As world leaders are gathering in Geneva… Read More

Geneva Health Forum: How Frontliners are Tackling NCDs

April 26th, 2012

I was fortunate to be invited to attend the Geneva Health Forum. This three-day global health meeting brought together frontliners from around the world, global policymakers, mostly Europe-based, industry and civil society to discuss how we should address NCDs.   Hats off to Dr. Slim Slama and others who worked hard to put together panels and group discussions that were both thought-provoking and offered a rich array of perspectives.

“A Product That Pretty Much Sells Itself”

April 25th, 2012

Instigating behavior change is something we all struggle with in the fight against NCDs. In this guest post, Ann describes how she put her experience as behavior change specialist at Alive & Thrive to good use to develop both a message and delivery that would resonate with her audience and generate action. For more information, see “Research to Action,” Alive & Thrive’s first case study kit.