27 September 2012

World Health Organisation

Internship

Tara Purcell

A little about myself...

✤ Doctor of Medicine (MD)

✤ Bachelor Exercise & Sport Science (BAppSc)

✤ Registered Exercise Scientist (ESSA)

✤ Certificate III & IV Fitness

✤ Basketball referee

✤ Non-infectious and non-transmissible between persons

✤ Cardiovascular diseases

✤ Cancer

✤ Chronic respiratory diseases

✤ Diabetes

Noncommunicable Disease (NCD)

Risk factors for NCDs

✤ Tobacco

✤ Alcohol

✤ Physical Inactivity

✤ Unhealthy Diet

✤ Hypertension

✤ Overweight & Obesity

✤ Raised Cholesterol

NCDs: Worlds biggest killers

✤ Causing ~35 million deaths each year

✤ 60% of deaths globally

✤ 80% middle income countries

✤ 9 million NCD deaths occur < 60 yrs

Source Alwan et al. 2010

Breaking it Down

✤ Cardiovascular disease represents 39% of NCD deaths

Text

Source AIHW 2010a

Cardiovascular Disease

✤ All diseases of heart and blood vessels

✤ Leading cause of death & disability in the world

✤ 17% Australians have CVD

✤ Increases with age

✤ 19% 45-54 yrs

✤ 62% >75 yrsSource AIHW

2010a

A Rising Epidemic

Source WHO 2008

✤ The burden of NCDs will ↑ by 17% in 10 yrs

The Role of Physical Activity

✤ Decreased exercise ↑ the mortality for people with risk factors for CHD

✤ Exercise capacity should be given as much attention by clinicians as other major risk factors

Source Kokkinos et al. 2008

✤ Physical activity reduces all cause mortality

The Role of Physical Activity

✤ Exercise significantly reduces CVD events and associated risk factors to a degree comparable to that of not smoking

Source Mora et al. 2007

The Role of Physical Activity

✤ Exercise interventions provide better outcomes in T2DM than Metformin

Source Diabetes Prevention Program 2002

The Role of Physical Activity

✤ There are protective effects of exercise across all ages

Source Blair & Wei 2000

Physical Activity Guidelines

✤ Be active in every way

✤ At least 30 mins of moderate intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days

✤ Include regular vigorous activity, weight bearing and stretching

Australian’s Inactivity

✤ PA is independent of sitting time

✤ Although some people are meeting the exercise requirements, sedentary time is still 70% of waking hours

✤ It is better to be a breaker than a prolonger

Source Mora et al. 2007

World Health Organisation (WHO)

✤ Directing body for health within United Nations

✤ Provide leadership on global matters

✤ Guide health research

✤ Develop policies and standards

✤ Heavily relies on voluntary contributions

Internship Program

✤ Volunteer program for graduate medical / public health students

✤ Enhances educational experience through practical work assignments

✤ Exposes students to the role of WHO

✤ Develops WHO programmes with the assistance of students specialising in various fields

Noncommunicable Disease Department

✤ Provide leadership and evidence for international action on prevention and control of NCDs

✤ Prevent & reduce disease, disability, morbidity

✤ Prevent key risk factors

✤ Improve nutrition

My Position

✤ Implementation of the Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health

✤ The Action Plan for the Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases

✤ Based at Geneva headquarters for 10 week program

Collate evidence on effective interventions for physical activity

Collation of costing information on interventions for physical activity

Provision of data for modelling of physical activity interventions to identify cost effective for programs

My Position

Personal Goals

✤ Enhance my understanding of global health issues and the intricate complexities of these matters

✤ Encourage a heightened confidence within myself, to tackle public health issues now and into the future

✤ Bestow knowledge and skills upon community members

✤ As it is due to family, friends and teachers that I am privileged to have such opportunities today

Benefiting Our Community

✤ Collaborate with Nossal Institute and Local Community Groups

✤ Address risk factors & social determinant of health for disease prevention and management

✤ Health Literacy

✤ Education to Empower

✤ Social support

✤ Community Exercise Programs

✤ Food Supply

“… All parts of the body which are designed to be used, will stay healthy, willgrow well and will remain young if they are used in the right way and if they

are trained sufficiently, each of them in the manner in which they are used;

but if you do not use them, they will become ill, they will shrink and will grow

old before their natural time.”

Hippocrates (460 – 377 BC)

References✤ Alwan, A. et al. 2010. Monitoring and surveillance of chronic noncommunicable diseases:

progress and capacity in high-burden countries. The Lancet, 376:1861–1868.

✤ AIHW 2010b. Cardiovascular disease mortality, trends at different ages. Cat. no. CVD 47. Canberra: AIHW.

✤ Blair, S.N. & Wei, M. 2000. Fitness, ageing and mortality. American Journal of Health Promotion. 15: 1-8

✤ Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group. 2002. Reduction in the Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes with Lifestyle Intervention or Metformin. The New England Journal of Medicine, 346: 393-403

✤ Kokkinos, P. et al. 2008. Exercise capacity and mortality. Circulation. 117: 614-622

✤ Mathers, C & Loncar, D. 2006. Projections of Global Mortality and Burden of Disease from 2002 to 2030. PLOS Medicine

✤ Mora, S., Cook, N., Buring, J., Ridker, P. & Lee, I. 2007. Physical Activity and Reduced Risk of Cardiovascular Events: Potential Mediating Mechanisms. Circulation, 116(19): 2110-2118

✤ The global burden of disease: 2004 update. 2008. Geneva, World Health Organization

Thank You