Reducing risks and detecting early to prevent and manage noncommunicable diseases

Overview

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) – primarily heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases – cause nearly three-quarters of deaths worldwide. The drivers of NCDs are social, environmental, commercial and genetic, and their presence is global. Every year 17 million people under the age of 70 die of NCDs, and 86% of these live in low- and middleincome countries. Many of these early deaths are not inevitable. Addressing major risk factors – tobacco use, unhealthy diet, harmful use of alcohol, physical inactivity and air pollution – could prevent or delay significant ill health and a large number of deaths from many NCDs. Also critical are early detection and good disease management.