Integrating non-communicable disease prevention and control into maternal and child health programmes

The importance of maternal and child health has long been recognised, and it was made a global priority in the United Nations millennium development goals in 2000.1 Despite progress, reductions in morbidity and mortality have fallen short of established goals. One major gap is the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs),23 which are responsible for 19 million deaths in women worldwide each year.4 Traditionally, interventions targeting NCDs in women of reproductive age have been geared around child bearing. Unfortunately, waiting to prevent and treat these diseases until the preconception period is not enough. The harmful effects of NCDs in women of reproductive age can start before pregnancy and, in turn, affect the fetus during gestation.NCDs in pregnancy are associated with long term complications to the mother and offspring.56789 However, robust efforts to prevent the development of diseases before pregnancy have fallen short.356789 As resources are limited, particularly in low and middle…
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