Research-based Pharmaceutical Industry and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Join Forces to Prevent Non-Communicable Diseases

GENEVA, March 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

• Partnership is a novel cross-sector collaboration, responding to the United Nations call to tackle non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
• Initiative goes beyond awareness-raising campaigns by prompting behavioral changes
• Strategically combining expertise from pharmaceutical and humanitarian sectors, this initiative is expected to reach three million people

The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) announced today a partnership on NCD prevention. The two-year partnership involves support from both organizations to design a behavioral change-based toolkit that promotes healthy lifestyle choices at national and community levels. Through its volunteer network and community-based expertise, the IFRC will make the toolkit available to approximately 3 million people worldwide.

The four main NCDs- cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes - kill three in five people worldwide, with 80 percent of NCD-related deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries.

Because 50 percent of NCDs are avoidable, the IFPMA-IFRC partnership enhances efforts by both organizations to combat NCDs worldwide and support IFRC community interventions to reduce the impact of these diseases locally. Since releasing its Framework for Action on NCDs in 2011, IFPMA has delivered a series of research projects and health education initiatives to identify new ways to help people fight NCDs.

"By leveraging IFRC's and IFPMA's shared goal of fighting NCDs, this novel partnership brings synergy and creativity to fighting these diseases globally," says Eduardo Pisani, IFPMA Director General.

One of IFRC's core strengths lies in community volunteers' ability to tackle the underlying social, behavioral and environmental factors that determine good health through their on-the-ground work. "Changing behaviors by eliminating shared risk factors can save lives. Red Cross Red Crescent volunteers, going door-to-door in their communities play a vital role in promoting healthy lifestyles," says Bekele Geleta, IFRC Secretary General. "But no one single player from the public or private sector working in silo can tackle the NCDs challenges. Fighting NCDs requires multi-stakeholders solutions."

About the IFPMA:

IFPMA represents the research-based pharmaceutical companies and associations across the globe. The research-based pharmaceutical industry's 1.3 million employees research, develop and provide medicines and vaccines that improve the life of patients worldwide. Based in Geneva, IFPMA has official relations with the United Nations and contributes industry expertise to help the global health community find solutions that improve global health.