Chronic diseases account for the greatest share of early death and disability worldwide. Recent
projections by World Health Organisation (WHO) show that chronic diseases will be the biggest
contributor to mortality in low-income countries before 2015 and in terms of disability of life years
(DALYs) before 2030 (Suhrcke et al 2006). The share of chronic conditions is predicted to rise to 65% by
2030 (Mathers and Loncar 2005). The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) project (2005) estimated that, as of
2002, chronic or non-communicable conditions accounted for 54% of deaths in low- and middle-income
countries, compared with 36% attributed to communicable (i.e. infectious) diseases, maternal and
perinatal conditions and nutritional deficiencies (Suhrcke et al 2006). Chronic diseases, mainly
cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes, were estimated to cause more
than 60% (35 million) of all deaths in 2005; more than 80% of these deaths occurred in low-income and
middle-income countries (WHO 2005).