NARRATIVE REVIEW ON THE ROLE OF PREVENTIVE HEALTH POLICIES IN REDUCING BURDEN OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Abstract

Background: The rising global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), necessitating a critical shift from curative to preventive models of care. Understanding the contribution of preventive public health strategies in these resource-constrained settings is therefore a pressing priority.

Objective: This narrative review aims to explore and synthesize existing literature on how preventive health policies contribute to reducing the prevalence and burden of NCDs in developing countries.

Main Discussion Points: The review synthesizes evidence around several key themes. It examines the foundational role of fiscal and legislative policies, such as tobacco and sugar-sweetened beverage taxes, as cost-effective, population-wide interventions. It further discusses the critical need to create enabling food environments through salt reduction strategies and food labelling. The integration of NCD prevention into primary health care and community platforms is highlighted as a vital strategy for individual-level risk reduction. The analysis also addresses the significant challenge posed by commercial determinants of health and the political economy of policy adoption, while consistently emphasizing the imperative of designing equitable interventions that do not widen health disparities.

Conclusion: Preventive health policies represent a powerful, evidence-informed approach to curbing the NCD epidemic in LMICs. While the existing literature supports the implementation of known "best-buy" interventions, successful reduction of the NCD burden requires a multi-sectoral approach that combines these population-level policies with strengthened health systems and a steadfast commitment to health equity. Future efforts must focus on context-specific implementation and addressing persistent research gaps.