Some diseases cannot be transmitted form one person to the other, example includes, Parkinson disease, Alzheimer, stroke, heart attack, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma) and diabetes.
Noncommunicable diseases(NCDs), are therefore those diseases that cannot be transmitted directly from one person to another, they are also regarded as chronic diseases and tend to be of long duration and are the result of a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behaviours factors.
NCDs, kill 41 million people each year, equivalent to 71% of all deaths globally.
Each year, 15 million people between the ages of 30 and 69 years die from it. over 85% of these “premature” deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
Cardiovascular diseases account for most non transmittable diseases deaths,17.9 million people annually, followed by cancers (9.0 million), respiratory diseases (3.9million), and diabetes (1.6 million).
These 4 groups of diseases account for over 80% of all premature NCD deaths.
Tobacco use, physical inactivity, the harmful use of alcohol and unhealthy diets all increase the risk of dying from this disease
Detection, screening and treatment of NCDs, as well as palliative care, are key components of its response
Who is at risk of NDC?
People of all age groups, regions and countries are at risk of NCDs.These conditions are often associated with older age groups, but evidence shows that 15 million of all deaths attributed to NCDs occur between the ages of 30 and 69 years. Of these “premature” deaths, over 85% are estimated to occur in low- and middle-income countries. Children, adults and the elderly are all vulnerable to the risk factors contributing to NCDs, whether from unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, exposure to tobacco smoke or the harmful use of alcohol.
These diseases are driven by forces that include rapid unplanned urbanization, globalization of unhealthy lifestyles and population ageing. Unhealthy diets and a lack of physical activity may show up in people as raised blood pressure, increased blood glucose, elevated blood lipids and obesity. These are called metabolic risk factors that can lead to cardiovascular disease, which is the leading NCD in terms of premature deaths.
Risk factors
Modifiable behavioural risk factors
Modifiable behaviours, such as tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and the harmful use of alcohol, all increase the risk of NCDs.
Tobacco accounts for over 7.2 million deaths every year (including from the effects of exposure to second-hand smoke), and is projected to increase markedly over the coming years.
4.1 million annual deaths have been attributed to excess salt/sodium intake.
*More than half of the 3.3 million annual deaths attributable to alcohol use are from NCDs, including cancer.
*1.6 million deaths annually can be attributed to insufficient physical activity.
Metabolic risk factors
Metabolic risk factors contribute to four key metabolic changes that increase the risk of NCDs:
*raised blood pressure
*overweight/obesity
*hyperglycemia (high blood glucose levels) and;
*hyperlipidemia (high levels of fat in the blood).
In terms of attributable deaths, the leading metabolic risk factor globally is elevated blood pressure (to which 19% of global deaths are attributed), (1) followed by overweight and obesity and raised blood glucose.
Socioeconomic impacts of NCDs?*
NCDs threaten progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes a target of reducing premature deaths from NCDs by one-third by 2030.
Poverty is closely linked with NCDs. The rapid rise in NCDs is predicted to impede poverty reduction initiatives in low-income countries, particularly by increasing household costs associated with health care.
Vulnerable and socially disadvantaged people get sicker and die sooner than people of higher social positions, especially because they are at greater risk of being exposed to harmful products, such as tobacco, or unhealthy dietary practices, and have limited access to health services.
In low-resource settings, health-care costs for NCDs quickly drain household resources. The exorbitant costs of NCDs, including often lengthy and expensive treatment and loss of breadwinners, force millions of people into poverty annually and stifle development.
Prevention and control of NCDs
An important way to control NCDs is to focus on reducing the risk factors associated with these diseases.
Low-cost solutions exist for governments and other stakeholders to reduce the common modifiable risk factors. Monitoring progress and trends of NCDs and their risk is important for guiding policy and priorities.
To lessen the impact of NCDs on individuals and society, a comprehensive approach is needed requiring all sectors, including health, finance, transport, education, agriculture, planning and others, to collaborate to reduce the risks associated with NCDs, and promote interventions to prevent and control them.
Investing in better management of NCDs is critical. Management of NCDs includes detecting, screening and treating these diseases, and providing access to palliative care for people in need. High impact essential NCD interventions can be delivered through a primary health care approach to strengthen early detection and timely treatment.
Evidence shows such interventions are excellent economic investments because, if provided early to patients, they can reduce the need for more expensive treatment.
Some countries do not have enough health insurance coverage and may not be able to provide essential NCD interventions for all its citizens. Non contagious management interventions are essential for achieving the global target of a 25% relative reduction in the risk of premature mortality from NCDs by 2025, and the SDG target of a one-third reduction in premature deaths from NCDs by 2030.
CDS
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