The Oxford Health Alliance (OxHA) is a charitable organisation based in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, UK, and with a global network of participants. Its aim is to reduce the global impact of the epidemic of four major

chronic disease A chronic condition is a health condition or disease that is persistent or otherwise long-lasting in its effects or a disease that comes with time. The term ''chronic'' is often applied when the course of the disease lasts for more than three mo ...

s –

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, hea ...

lung disease The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of t ...

s and some cancers – which are caused by three risk factors: tobacco use, and poor diet and lack of

physical activity Physical activity is defined as any voluntary bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure.Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health, 2009. World Health Organization. Geneva, Switzerland. Accessed 13/ ...

that lead to

obesity Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may negatively affect health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)—a person's we ...

. The four chronic diseases together account for over 50% of deaths in the world. OxHA enables collaboration between experts and activists from a wide range of disciplines in order to raise awareness and change behaviours, policies and perspectives about the epidemic of chronic disease at every level of society. OxHA advocates and facilitates action and collaboration and encourages research about the risk factors and chronic disease prevention to promote health at local, national and international levels. OxHA was founded in 2003 under the name Oxford Vision 2020. It was renamed 'the Oxford Health Alliance' in early 2005.

Focus areas

In particular, OxHA focuses on five topics central to the prevention of chronic disease and reducing the risk factors - the organisation's work in these areas promotes translating compelling evidence into practical and actionable solutions. OxHA assembles and promotes evidence in each area, in conjunction with a network of experts and partner organisations. *The economic argument for prevention: the costs of chronic disease are already vast, and without urgent action these costs will continue to increase.Chronic Disease: An Economic Perspective
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061212180821/http://www.oxha.org/initiatives/economics/chronic-disease-an-economic-perspective , date=2006-12-12 (OxHA 2006) an

(WHO 2005). *Prevention in the workplace: chronic disease risk reduction in the workplace can have a major impact on the health of employees and their families, while also demonstrating social responsibility and improving productivity. *Youth, children and future health: the insights and enthusiasm of young people can change perceptions and lifestyles of future generations. *Environmental design for prevention: designers, architects and urban planners can assist in creating an environment in which the healthy choices are the easy choices. *Industry's role in prevention: prevention efforts by companies and industries can have a far-reaching effect on consumers and communities.

3four50.com

In addition, OxHA has launched a new website, an 'open space for health', with the aim of harnessing the social networking power of the internet in order to promote chronic disease prevention
3four50.com
reflects OxHA's message of three risk factors leading to four chronic diseases contributing to more than 50% of deaths worldwide. All of the content on the new site is user-generated, and includes stories, blogs and vlogs (reflecting different cultural perspectives on health and comments/ideas from those wishing to share their views), high-profile guest interviews, photos, and full coverage of th
OxHA 2006 Annual Summit
Through these channels, 3four50 will aim to facilitate communication of health messages in an innovative and compelling way.

Annual Summits

OxHA convenes its members at annual summits to generate ideas, provoke dialogue and stimulate effective action. The first two meetings, held at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

in 2003 and 2004, underscored the need for a truly global approach to the challenges of chronic disease, and the third meeting, in

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

, saw the start of OxHA's ‘transition to action’. The 2006 meeting was held in

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

, South Africa on the theme of 'Health in transition: working together'. It gave particular focus to the developing world and to ways in which the alliance can use the technology offered by new media, including the launch of 3four50.com. The event was streamed live an
on demand

References

External links

Oxford Health Alliance website

3four50.com website

World Health Organization website on chronic disease
Medical and health organisations based in London Health charities in the United Kingdom