Preventing noncommunicable diseases

Reducing the major risk factors for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) – tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and the harmful use of alcohol – is the focus of WHO’s work to prevent deaths from NCDs. 

NCDs – primarily heart and lung diseases, cancers and diabetes – are the world’s largest killers, with an estimated 41 million deaths annually. Of these deaths, 17 million are premature (under 70 years of age). If we reduce the global impact of risk factors, we can go a long way to reducing the number of deaths worldwide.

Prevention of NCDs is a growing issue: the burden of NCDs falls mainly on developing countries, where 82% of premature deaths from these diseases occur. Tackling the risk factors will therefore not only save lives; it will also provide a huge boost for the economic development of countries.

 

41 million

deaths

Attributed to NCDs annually, equivalent to 71% of all deaths globally

3.3 million

deaths per year

due to the harmful use of alcohol

Global status report

3.1 billion adults

do not drink alcohol

57% of adults worldwide abstained from alcohol in 2016

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Tobacco and stunting
2 September 2025

Tobacco and stunting

This document is the eleventh in a series of Tobacco Knowledge Summaries and is prepared with the objective to summarize the current evidence on the association...

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), impose a major and growing burden on health and development in the South-East (SE) Asia Region. The region comprises...

Second general meeting of the WHO Global Coordination Mechanism on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases: meeting report, 23-25 April 2025

This report provides a summary of key discussions, outcomes, selected quotes and resources from the three-day event bringing together more than 300...

The Second Regional Consultation on the SEAHEARTS: Accelerating prevention and controlof CVDs in the South-East Asia Region (SEA/RC76/R5) initiative was...