The "Global Status Report on Noncommunicable Diseases" is the first report on the worldwide epidemic of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases, along with their risk factors and determinants. Noncommunicable diseases killed 36 million people in 2008, and a large proportion of these deaths occurred before the age of 60, so during the most productive period of life. The magnitude of these diseases continues to rise, especially in low- and middle-income countries.This report reviews the current status of noncommunicable diseases and provides a roadmap for reversing the epidemic by strengthening national and global monitoring and surveillance, scaling up the implementation of evidence-based measures to reduce risk factors like tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful alcohol use, and improving access to cost-effective healthcare interventions to prevent complications, disabilities and premature death. This report, and subsequent editions, also provide a baseline for future monitoring of trends and for assessing the progress Member States are making to address the epidemic.The "Global Status Report on Noncommunicable Diseases" was developed as part of the implementation of the 2008-2013 Action Plan for the Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, which was endorsed by the World Health Assembly in 2008.