STEPS prevalence of noncommunicable disease risk factors in Ukraine 2019 (2020)

In Ukraine, as in other countries, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) remain the principal cause of morbidity, disability and premature mortality. The most effective way to reduce the NCD burden is to prevent NCD development, by addressing the behavioural risk factors underlying NCDs at the population and individual levels: smoking, alcohol use, excessive salt intake, low physical activity, overweight and obesity, and unhealthy diets.

In Ukraine, a national survey of the prevalence of major NCD risk factors, aligned with the WHO-endorsed STEPwise approach to surveillance (STEPS) methodology, was conducted for the first time in 2019. The survey results will allow an objective view of the current situation regarding the prevalence of NCD risk factors in the adult population of the country to be formed and will determine approaches to NCD prevention and control in Ukraine over the coming years.