Non-Communicable diseases (NCDs) cause more deaths than infectious diseases

18 January 2023

A report from the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and respiratory pathologies, currently outnumber infectious diseases and are responsible for a greater number of deaths in the world.

Cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases, along with mental health, have social, environmental, commercial and genetic drivers, are very often strctly linked with bad eating habits, and their presence is global. Every year 17 million people under the age of 70 die of NCDs, and 86% of them live in low- and middle-income countries.

The report “Invisible numbers: the true extent of noncommunicable diseases and what to do about them” also shows the cost-effectiveness of globally applicable cost-effective interventions that can change these numbers and save lives and money.