Guam Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Program - Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke, represent the leading causes of mortality in Guam, accounting for an average of 72% of all deaths from 1999 to 2022 in Guam. By 2023, chronic diseases continue to dominate the mortality landscape, with diabetes and other NCD conditions comprising six of the nine leading causes of death. Lung cancer remains the primary cause of cancer-related deaths on the island. Contributing factors to the high prevalence of chronic diseases include tobacco consumption, poor dietary practices, reliance on processed foods, obesity, insufficient physical activity, and elevated levels of cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. The escalating rates of diabetes and tobacco-related cancers underscore the necessity for sustained intervention efforts. Continued support for the Guam Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Program (Diabetes and Tobacco) is imperative, especially in light of the rising incidence of diabetes, increasing demand for dialysis services, and the associated co-morbid risk factors that burden the healthcare system and elevate costs for families. The primary objective of the Guam NCD PCP is to mitigate the impact of diabetes and tobacco-related health issues through collaboration within the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) Bureau of Non-Communicable Disease programs (Guam Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, Guam Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, Guam Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and the Guam Office of Minority Health), Guam Non-Communicable Disease Consortium, Guam Diabetes Control Coalition, Guam Comprehensive Cancer Coalition, Guam Community Health Centers, and various external partners in implementing the strategies and activities selected for the funding opportunity “Advancing Public Health Actions to Prevent and Control Chronic Disease in the U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States” (CDC-RFA-DP-25-0024). The program intends to achieve the following outcomes: 1) Decreased tobacco use among adults and adolescents; increase implementation of evidence-based interventions to reduce morbidity, mortality, and disparities due to NCDs and risk factors, including those related to tobacco, 2) Decreased initiation of tobacco use among youth and young adults and decreased exposure to secondhand smoke/aerosol, 3) Enhanced awareness of prediabetes among the general population and healthcare professionals, 4) Improved health outcomes and self-management for individuals diagnosed with diabetes, and 5) Reduced risk for type 2 diabetes among adults participating in culturally tailored, CDC-recognized type 2 diabetes prevention programs. To achieve these outcomes, the Guam NCD PCP aims implement evidence-based interventions focused on 1) systematically collecting, sharing and using NCD population-based and clinical data to drive local public health action and evaluate impact, 2) implementing policy, system, and environmental (PSE) change strategies to improve awareness and prevention of chronic disease and associated modifiable risk factors, 3) implement culturally appropriate health communication approaches to prevent and/or control risk factors that lead to chronic disease, 4) promote health system changes to improve screening, treatment, care, and support for people with and at risk for chronic disease, and 5) coordinate actions to increase access to, use of, and participation in evidence-based chronic disease prevention and management services.
