Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are most often defined as chronic medical diseases including cardiovascular diseases (heart disease and stroke), cancer, chronic respiratory diseases (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma), and diabetes. NCDs are responsible for two-thirds of the world's deaths, one-fourth of which occur before the age of 60 years. Nearly 80% of NCD deaths occur in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), where they are also increasing most rapidly, but despite this enormous burden, funding for NCD research in LMICs is less than 10% of the World Health Organization and global health aid budgets. This image conveys important elements of NCD prevention: not smoking, maintaining normal weight, and maintaining a normal blood pressure and blood sugar through exercise, diet, and medication if necessary. With the importance of the topic and these global needs and disparities in mind, the editors of PLOS Medicine have issued a call for papers into research and commentary on NCDs directed toward improving population health and reducing health disparities. PLOS Medicine considers mental health and substance use disorders as part of NCDs as well, because mental health disorders and substance abuse also cause considerable morbidity and mortality, contribute to other NCDs, and similarly require the health systems necessary to care for chronic conditions. Research and Magazine papers on NCDs will be published throughout 2013 and beyond and will comprise an online collection; of course, all will be freely available as open access publications.

Image Credit: Elliott Brown, Alden Chadwick, Daniel Oines and Bernard Goldbach at Flickr.