Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)

NCDs are noncommunicable diseases, which include some of the world’s biggest killers: cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke), cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease.

Absolutely! NCDs are a problem in some shape or form everywhere, although patterns of disease vary between countries and regions. You can see which NCDs and risk factors should be health priorities in your country in the WHO noncommunicable diseases data portal.

Many NCDs are preventable – and too many people are becoming ill and dying too young and unnecessarily. The majority of the 17 million deaths from NCDs each year among people under age 70 could be prevented or significantly delayed.

Five major risk factors linked to our everyday environment – tobacco use, unhealthy diet, the harmful use of alcohol, physical inactivity and air pollution – drive responses in our bodies that also increase NCD risk: raised blood pressure, obesity, high blood sugar levels and raised cholesterol.

Yes – and the economic costs and benefits are often not fully understood, so it is important to build understanding of the extent of NCDs and the potential for action.

Not addressing NCDs is already costing billions of dollars a year! The return on investment of a package of measures to address NCDs can be as high as 7:1 – that is fantastic value for money that can significantly reduce individual and national health care costs. Spending today can prevent the onset of disease and prevent complications – and it can also have benefits very quickly, for example for people with diabetes and hypertension.

No! Behaviour is hugely affected by our surroundings: people can’t eat healthy food if unhealthy food is all that is available or affordable, or be more active if the local neighbourhood is unsafe, or not use alcohol or tobacco if these are being aggressively promoted, and they can’t chose to breathe clean air if they live in an area where the air is polluted. But we can all live longer, healthier lives if governments live up to their responsibility to create supportive environments that protect people from developing NCDs and provide treatment to manage these diseases and prevent complications for those living with NCDs.

This is not an either–or! COVID-19 showed that people with existing health conditions (particularly NCDs) are more vulnerable to severe outcomes from many infectious diseases, and resilience against future pandemics depends on strong health systems, which includes NCD prevention and treatment.

Individuals and communities with first-hand experience in living with NCDs hold key insights and expertise that can unlock opportunities to overcome barriers to accessing and sustaining health care. The right to participate in one’s care is also a fundamental part of the human right to the highest attainable standard of health.

Everyone has the right to the best available standard of health, even during crises! Every effort must be made to ensure that as many people as possible who are living with NCDs can continue to access appropriate prevention, treatment and medication, whether this is an immediate matter of life-and-death (such as access to insulin for people with type 1 diabetes) or longer term (such as blood pressure medication). Efforts to address climate change and air pollution – such as ensuring a healthy, sustainable food supply, implement sustainable transport policies or design cities with neighbourhoods that are walkable and cyclable – can also help to address NCDs.

No! Women and girls often face a triple challenge of reproductive and maternal conditions, infectious disease and NCDs.

Yes! This isn’t about financing a whole health system – your assistance can find ways to unlock domestic funding or be used in targeted, effective ways, with long-lasting, far-reaching impacts.

Yes! NCDs are central to sustainable economic development, but this is often not fully appreciated. Good NCD prevention, treatment and care can have significant co-benefits, with improvements in education, equality and the environment, with reducing poverty, and in boosting economic growth.