Therefore, there is an urgent need to establish appropriate research studies, increase awareness of the CVD burden, and develop preventive strategies in developing countries. In the meantime, as it is likely that most risk factors will be of some importance in all ethnic populations in the world, prevention and treatment strategies that have been proven to be effective in developed countries should be adapted for developing countries.

Establishment of surveillance systems for noncommunicable diseases and their risk factors is essential for developing prevention strategies and monitoring the impact of control programmes. Pilot programmes are now under way in some of the countries to establish and evaluate such systems.