ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PREVENTIVE SCREENING MEASURES IN IMPROVING EPIDEMIOLOGICAL MONITORING OF MAJOR NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

Abstract

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and type 2 diabetes mellitus, are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide [1]. In Uzbekistan, the share of NCDs reaches approximately 79% of all deaths, which exceeds the global figure (71%). Of particular concern is the extremely high mortality rate from cardiovascular pathology: according to 2019 data, over 64% of all deaths in the country are associated with diseases of the heart and blood vessels [2]. This is one of the highest rates in the world - in 2021, the mortality rate from CVD in Uzbekistan was about 798 cases per 100 thousand population, being the highest among all countries [3]. The high prevalence of risk factors (arterial hypertension, obesity, smoking, etc.) leads to the fact that almost a third of Uzbek citizens aged 40-64 have a high (≥30%) 10-year risk of heart attack or stroke. The situation is aggravated by late diagnosis: many patients are unaware of their disease. Thus, the number of registered patients with diabetes in Uzbekistan in 2019 was ~245 thousand, while the estimated number of diabetics exceeds 1.2 million (about 6-7% of the adult population). In other words, for every identified diabetic, there are up to 5-6 cases of undiagnosed diabetes [4]. A similar gap is observed with hypertension and other NCDs. Under-detection and late diagnosis lead to the fact that most patients begin treatment at late stages, when complications have developed (stroke, heart attack, nephropathy, etc.). In these conditions, improving the NCD screening system - timely detection of CVD, diabetes and risk factors - is an extremely urgent task for the healthcare system of Uzbekistan [5]. Effective screening programs can reduce premature mortality, prevent the development of complications and improve the quality of life of the population. This work is devoted to the analysis of the epidemiological situation for CVD and diabetes in 2019-2025 in Central Asia (using Uzbekistan as an example), assessing the effectiveness of existing screening measures and developing recommendations for their improvement [6].