They reduce global and national economic output, strain national governments and health systems, burden vulnerable households, put human rights at risk and seriously undermine development progress (UNDP 2013b, World Bank 2014). Lost productivity due to illness, disability or death from NCDs can impede macroeconomic growth and shift public budgets from other important health and development objectives (WHO 2010, Bloom et al. In contrast, deaths from communicable diseases during the same period fell by 27 per cent from around 16.1 million people in 1990 to 11.8 million in 2013, while deaths from various forms of injuries rose by 10 per cent from around 4.3 million people in 1990 to 4.8 million in 2013 (GBD 2013).