SWITZERLAND – Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) constitute one of the greatest health and development challenges of this century, and cumulatively they account for nearly three-quarters of deaths in the world, taking 41 million lives every year, according to WHO.

Every two seconds someone under 70 dies of noncommunicable disease (NCD), the majority of them in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Chief among them are cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and stroke; cancer; and diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases – as well as mental health illnesses.

The WHO study, released at the UN general assembly in New York, said that LMICs account for 86% of these premature deaths, most of which could be avoided or delayed if people had access to prevention, treatment, and care.

The report, Invisible numbers: The true extent of noncommunicable diseases and what to do about them,” highlights NCDs statistics to illustrate the true scale of the threats and risk factors they pose.

The diseases pose one of the greatest health and development challenges of the century but they are “overlooked and underfunded.”

SDG goal still out of sight

Only a few countries remain on track to meet global development targets to reduce premature deaths from NCDs by a third by 2030.

NCDs undermine social development and are a handbrake on global development,” said Bente Mikkelsen, director of NCDs at WHO.

World leaders recognized the critical importance of NCDs in the sustainable development goals, aiming to reduce premature death from NCDs by one-third by 2030. But currently, just 14 of 194 countries globally are on track to achieve this goal.”

At least 17 million people die prematurely before the age of 70 every year due to NCDs, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and respiratory disease.

Cardiovascular diseases (heart disease and stroke) kill more people than any other disease, accounting for one in three deaths a year or nearly 18 million deaths.

Two-thirds of the people with hypertension live in LMICs, but almost half of the people with hypertension are not even aware they have it,” researchers said.

About one in six deaths occur due to cancer, one in 13 due to chronic respiratory diseases, and one in 28 is caused by diabetes.

Major risk factors remain the same

Tobacco use, unhealthy diets, harmful use of alcohol, and physical inactivity are among the major risk factors leading to NCDs.

More than 8 million deaths every year are attributed to tobacco use; unhealthy diets account for a similar number.

Poorer people, especially women and young people, are often aggressively targeted by industry to use tobacco and alcohol, key risk factors for NCDs.

Sadly, millions don’t have access to the prevention, treatment, and care that could save lives or give years of life back.

An NCD data portal containing the latest global data on NCDs, risk factors, and policy implementation for 194 countries was released alongside the report.

With 2019 data showing assistance for NCDs amounted to just 5% of external aid sent to low- and middle-income countries, it is clear the NCD issue is not only a question of health, but also one of equity and sustainable development.

According to a recent study published in the Lancet, investing an additional US$18 billion a year across all low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) could generate net economic benefits of US$2.7 trillion by 2030.

The benefits of action go far beyond health, and [the data] proves once again that health should be seen as an investment, not a cost,” the report advised.

Liked this article? Sign up to receive our regular email newsletters, focused on Africa and World’s healthcare industry, directly into your inbox. SUBSCRIBE HERE