New Delhi, May 28 -- By 2030, non-communicable diseases will account for 75 per cent of all deaths annually. Eight per cent of these will be in the global south. Most of these diseases are what we call silent killers: Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, as well as certain types of cancer at increasingly younger ages.

The consumption of sugary drinks and processed foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fats is fuelling these pandemics. And increasingly advertising is being seen as the means by which the consumption of unhealthy products is promoted. This translates into the growth of non-communicable diseases in populations across the globe.

This rising threat is driven largely by the way in which markets and indust...