Non-communicable diseases (NCDs): a global emergency

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NCDs kill 36 million people a year – more than all other causes combined. They are the most frequent cause of death in most countries and account for nearly two thirds of all deaths globally.
If current trends continue, NCD deaths will increase by 15 per cent over the next decade, reaching 44 million a year.
While infectious disease deaths are projected to decline by about seven million over the next 20 years, cardiovascular disease and cancer deaths are expected to increase by ten million.
The World Economic Forum identifies NCDs as a top threat to the global economy.

Nearly four out of five deaths (80%) from NCDs occur in low- or middle-income countries.
If current trends continue, by 2030 NCDs in low- and middle-income countries will cause FIVE times more deaths than communicable diseases, maternal and newborn death and hunger combined.
NCDs kill people at a younger age in low- and middle-income ...

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