Invisible numbers: the true extent of noncommunicable diseases and what to do about them
Every year, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) claim the lives of 17 million people under the age of 70 – one every two seconds. Most of these premature deaths are preventable. NCDs affect all countries and regions, but by far the largest burden falls on low- and middle-income countries, which account for 86% of these premature deaths. The COVID-19 pandemic took an especially heavy toll on people living with NCDs, highlighting how these diseases undermine the very foundations of good health.
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that protecting and promoting health is not only the domain of health ministers. In the same way as COVID-19, NCDs endanger lives, livelihoods and global development, which means that preventing and managing these diseases requires a concerted effort, with a whole-of-government, whole-of-society response across countries and sectors.
