Prevalent Non-communicable Diseases Across Brazil: Risk Factors, Prevention, and Future Goals

Abstract

Over the past century, the country of Brazil has seen tremendous growth in their economy, including – increased mechanization, urbanization, and industrialization. Collectively, these changes have made a negative impact in the public health sector in Brazil because they have contributed to the increasing number of individuals who have developed a non-communicable disease. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), also known as chronic diseases, are developed over time and are caused by a various number of risk factors. With these risk factors uncontrolled, the burden only continues to rise and have a profound impact on the health and quality of life for any individual living with a NCD. Additionally, those individuals living with a NCD can be heavily burdened financially, psychically, and socially. Currently, NCD’s represent the largest mortality and morbidity burden in the Brazil. The increasing burden of NCD’s have not only become a serious public health issue for the country of Brazil, but for many countries across the globe. An important way to reduce NCDs is to focus on lessening the risk factors associated with these diseases. Currently, Brazil has implemented and continues to develop solutions to reduce this burden but they still have a long way to go. This paper will examine the impact of NCD’s on the population of Brazil including: risk factors associated with these chronic diseases; how this country’ prevalence of NCD’s compares to other countries across the globe; what is being done throughout Brazil to combat this growing burden.