Non-communicable diseases present a growing burden on developed economies. This burden is even heavier on poor developing economies that have to expend meager resources on the double burden of both communicable and non-communicable dieases.
Understanding and making use of the economic underpinnings of risky health behaviors, and the full economic ramifications of these behaviors can help anticipate problems, on the one hand, and tailor appropriate and timely policy and interventions, on the other.

At the individual and household levels, this understanding can help influence healthy behavior by modifying the incentives that affect dietary patterns, smoking, and physical activity. These incentives include these associated with changing prices, levels of income and education, as well as market conditions.

At the community and state levels, this understanding can help influence policy by building on knowledge of the economic and social burden of non-communicable disease, especially in developing and transitional economies that have not rid themselves of the burden of communicable disease. Realization of this burden can help induce communities and nations to comprehend the benefits of timely interventions, assess the resources required for this intervention and -- with the knowledge of individual behavior – design optimal policy and interventions. Special attention needs to be given to the identification of cost effective interventions.

The proposed session – the first of its kind – marks an initial effort to promote more concentrated work in these issues in general and in developing nations in particular.