Upholding the tradition of building communities and improving lives, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) represented by Aga Khan University (AKU), is hosting a summit, Preparing Communities: Chronic Diseases in the Developing Regions of Africa and Asia, from February 5-7, 2009, in Kampala, Uganda. This event is a collaborative initiative of AKU, World Health Organization (WHO), and the Ministry of Health, Uganda.

This two-day summit brings together global experts and leaders from developing countries in Africa and Asia with the aim of investing in a common strategic platform to influence policies to combat chronic or non-communicable diseases.

In 2005, there were 38 million deaths worldwide due to chronic diseases. In the next ten years, a projected 388 million people will die from heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. Not only will the majority of these deaths occur in the most productive age groups, 80 per cent of these deaths will be in low and middle income countries. This will have a substantive economic impact. In 2005, the World Health Organization estimated the loss in national income from heart disease, stroke and diabetes to be $18 billion dollars in China, $11 billion dollars in the Russian Federation, $9 billion dollars in India, and $ 2.7 billion dollars in Brazil. Similarly, the losses for UK, Pakistan, Canada, Nigeria and the United Republic of Tanzania were $1.6 billion, $1.2 billion, $ 0.53 billion $0.4 billion and $0.1 billion respectively. Estimates for 2015 for the same countries are between 3 and 7 times those of 2005.

More than three-quarters of these deaths are preventable and there is potential economic benefit from interventions to control the chronic disease burden.

Nations working cooperatively hold the promise of achieving outcomes faster than through individual undertakings. This summit will offer benefits of implementing solutions within the context of common social challenges while sharing knowledge and expertise, and building on regional synergies.

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