Around the world, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a growing threat—and the burden of dealing with them falls disproportionately on low-income communities. The prevention and management of NCDs is a global priority and an important mission at Teva. The United Nations recently concluded its third annual High-Level Meeting on NCDs at which Heads of State committed to address this challenge with a political declaration on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. It was during this United Nations General Assembly Week in New York that Teva, along with co-hosts Intel and the International Association of Patient Organizations (IAPO), brought together a dynamic panel of public and private sector leaders to discuss the NCD Care Continuum: Multisectoral Action to Advance the Management & Self-Management of NCDs.
Teva is proud to join forces with representatives from private companies and patient groups to Non-profits and government to bring the expertise, resources and creativity together to help people suffering from chronic conditions live longer and healthier lives.
With opening remarks by Dr. Sania Nishtar, Co-Chair, WHO High-Level Commission on Non-Communicable Diseases and Amalia Adler-Waxman, Vice President of Social Impact and Responsibility at Teva, the panel also included representatives from IAPO, Intel, GE Foundation, Mount Sinai Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Teva's partnership with Mount Sinai's Arnhold Institute for Global Health in New York, has helped to uncover important insights around a patient-centered, integrated approach for people who suffer from two or more conditions, referred to as multiple chronic conditions (MCCs), an emerging health challenge directly related to NCDs. The insights developed from this collaboration, such as examining clusters of care vs. looking at each patient's disease state; our 2017 research report, Multiple Chronic Conditions: The Global State, which quantifies the burden of MCC on patients, communities and health systems; and panels like this one, continue to bring this important health issue to the forefront with patients at its center.
Recognizing the cost and complexity of treating patients suffering from more than one condition (the average age of a Mount Sinai Health system patient is just 35), Dr. Sandeep Kishore, Associate Director, Arnhold Institute for Global Health, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai Health, called for dialing up the emphasis on patient engagement and a new paradigm of adherence and treatment during the panel discussion. "Through this partnership with Teva, we're hoping to actually build technology-based digital and behavioral solutions to take us forward." For example, classifying conditions in clusters rather than just treating one illness at a time and looking at holistic care to help patients on their journey outside the clinic where they spend most of their time.
Dr. Kishore went on to highlight that the discovery phase of that collaboration uncovered the challenges patients face in seeking treatment in different locations because there is no holistic approach to treating the one in six at Mount Sinai who has hypertension and high cholesterol, for example, as well as the cost burden, with just five percent of their patients costing 54 percent of utilization.