NCDs: A Growing Global Heath Threat

What are NCDs
A non-communicable Disease is a disease that is not spread through contact or germs. It is caused by how people live (e.g. harmful lifestyle behavior) , conditions that they are born with (either genetic , inherited or due to unknown causes) , or exposure to environmental hazards (e.g. second hand smoke, fumes, toxic substances etc.).
The main lifestyle related risk factors of NCDs are tobacco use, inadequate eating habits, physical inactivity and alcohol misuse, all of which are avoidable and preventable social determinants that also increase high blood pressure, dyslipidemia and obesity.
• Why should the world take notice of NCDs?
“To do justice by our duty as the voice of all those who have been affected by NCDs, and to protect the lives of all those who will be affected by them in the coming years, we need to ensure that NCDs receive a new label marked “urgent action required now.” Her Royal Highness, Princess Mired.
The WHO has identified the following chronic diseases as the main threats to human health: cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases: “These four diseases are the main causes of death and disability worldwide, representing about 60% of deaths and 44% of early deaths (35 Million deaths every year, 80% of which occur in low and middle income countries”
NCDs represent a serious public health issue and are a health emergency worldwide. Deaths from NCDs are rising quicker in Africa than in the rest of the world (27%), with the Eastern Mediterranean region (25%) a close second. The highest absolute number of deaths will occur in the Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions. In spite of the severity of the situation and the enormous strain they have on health systems worldwide, the funding to fight NCDs is only 1% of the total funding that is dedicated to development.
The negative impact of NCDs has increased due to urbanization, the modifications of lifestyles, growing reach and power of corporations that promote the use of harmful substances (unhealthy food, etc), social inequality and poverty, difficulty in access to affordable health systems, and political and social inaction.
NCDs deepen social inequality since they have a greater impact on poor, less educated people, members of certain ethnic groups, women, children and the elderly, all of whom have lower access to health services, thus hindering human development, counteracting the efforts in the fight against poverty and increasing health inequalities. Despite this, NCDs are still not part of the political agenda of most countries and the Millennium Development Goals.
Prevention and control of NCDs is not only a health strategy, but also a development intervention as a key action in ensuring sustainable human rights and human development. There are several international treaties in which States have assumed obligations and commitments to guarantee essential human rights that are directly connected to the prevention and control of NCDs. However, implementation of these treaties is insufficient.
Some Ministers from National Health Department have made comments like: “Health systems are nearly bankrupt and prevention on NCD’s is the solution” and “because of the current economic situation it is necessary to prioritize prevention”. There is as a result, an emerging tension in 2011 between those who believe that such a meeting should concentrate on prevention and those who believe that support and research for a cure for NCDs is also crucial.
While a focus on prevention, where possible, is necessary, it is vital that similar importance be given to research and to providing affordable, accessible, quality care for patients already suffering from cancer as well as for those suffering unpreventable cancers.