By 2020, the World Health Organisation (2005) estimates that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) will be as prevalent as communicable diseases, which has been the main determinant of the high morbidity and mortality in the sub-Saharan Africa.

The emerging importance of NCDs in the region is mostly associated with lifestyle, structural and environmental changes and calls for an integrated approach and for strategies that:

• develop effective primary intervention measures;

• tackle risk factors and the wider social, economic and environmental conditions;

• adopt evidence based approaches for interventions for vulnerable groups and populations;

• support governments in the implementation of effective, efficient and sustainable NCD policies and programmes.