Background: While much of international health focuses on communicable diseases, it is clear that noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes, causes substantial morbidity and mortality.

 

Epidemiology:

• NCDs kill 38 million people each year
  • Approximately 28 million of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
• Of the 38 million deaths, 16 million of these deaths occur in patients <70 years of age
  • 82% of these “premature” deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries
• Causes of NCD deaths
  • Cardiovascular diseases (heart attacks and strokes): 17.5 million
  • Cancers: 8.2 million
  • Chronic respiratory diseases (COPD and asthma): 4 million
  • Diabetes: 1.5 million

Bottom line: As in developed countries, risk factors for NCDs deaths include physical in activity, tobacco use, unhealthy diabetes, harmful use of alcohol.

References

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs355/en/