Chronic conditions are increasing. The number of people affected by chronic non-communicable conditions, including diabetes and heart disease, is growing worldwide. Collectively, chronic conditions were responsible for 35 million – a full 60% – of all deaths in 2005. This is twice the number of deaths due to infectious diseases, poor maternal health and malnutrition combined. In addition to causing high death rates, chronic conditions account for almost half of the world’s disability. Sadly, the countries most affected with this public health challenge are those with the fewest resources. Sheri Pruitt and JoAnne Epping-Jordan explain the paradigmatic shift needed to equip a global healthcare workforce to cope with the dramatic increase in chronic conditions, and call for educational reform to close the gap between what we know and what we do about caring for people with chronic conditions.