Links Between Bolivia, Moldova, and Italy for Prevention of Chronic Nephropathies

The growing global burden of non-communicable diseases worldwide has been neglected by policy makers, major aid donors, and academics. In 2003, there have been 56 million deaths globally, of which 60% were due to non-communicable diseases. In 1992, the "Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research" in Bergamo, Italy, on the behalf of the general project of "Mario Negri for Latin-America" through the support of the "Associazione il Conventino," Bergamo, Italy, and the cooperation of young doctors of the Ospedale Giovanni XXIII in La Paz activated a specific project entitled "El Proyecto de Enfermedades Renales en Bolivia." Bolivia is a country in which a large percent of the population live at high altitude. The Bolivian experience underlines that education and training of health professional is the first priority. A comprehensive training program for physicians and nurses should be established and carried out in selected institutions in developed countries.