Chronic Disease is defined as a persistent illness that usually lasts longer than 3 months, affects or limits bodily function and typically gets worse with time. Many things are considered chronic illnesses, but the primary focuses of the NE Chronic Disease Prevention and Control Program are heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. In 2015, 1.1 million Nebraskans suffered from at least one chronic disease.
This represents substantial medical care costs, decrease in work productivity, and most importantly, decreased quality of life. Chronic diseases are often difficult if not impossible to cure, that's why prevention is important!