Surge in maladies is worldwide dilemma.

• Position: Noncommunicable Diseases - Brief article

Swift, firm measures to halt a global surge in diseases such as cancer and diabetes are needed, asserts Helen Clark, administrator for the United Nations Development Programme. She says they belong "permanently on the global development agenda.

"Failure to curb the growing epidemic of noncommunicable diseases will lead to a significant toll on human life and well-being, and great strain on health systems and family and public budgets. By placing NCDs permanently on the global development agenda, people's lives, opportunities, and future prospects will improve--advancing sustainable human development overall."

She adds that the global response to HIV/AIDS suggests early intervention decisively can alter the trajectory of an epidemic. "Just as health shapes development, development shapes health. Poor health impedes lifting human development, while the conditions in which people live and work impact health and well-being. Inequalities in health outcomes tend to mirror inequalities and inequities more broadly...