The global burden of disease is shifting from infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases

[Gert van der Hoek]

A call for global research on non-communicable diseases

Xuetao Cao

Published Online: 25 January 2015

The news headlines are filled with mentions of infectious diseases—eg, Ebola, influenza, malaria, and tuberculosis, but the reality is that the global burden of disease is shifting from infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases (NCDs).1

A 2014 report by WHO2 about NCDs in 194 countries stated that 85% of deaths from NCDs occur in low-income and middle-income countries, which suggests that substantial global collaborative action is necessary.

The global political priority has shifted from infectious to non-infectious diseases, which is evident from the UN high-level meeting on NCDs in July, 2013.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Noncommunicable diseases prematurely take 16 million lives annually, WHO urges more action

News release

19 JANUARY 2015 ? GENEVA - Urgent government action is needed to meet global targets to reduce the burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), and prevent the annual toll of 16 million people dying prematurely – before the age of 70 – from heart and lung diseases, stroke, cancer and diabetes, according to a new WHO report.

“The global community has the chance to change the course of the NCD epidemic,” says WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan, who today launched the "Global status report on noncommunicable diseases 2014". “By investing just US$ 1-3 dollars per person per year, countries can dramatically reduce illness and death from NCDs. In 2015, every country needs to set national targets and implement cost-effective actions. If they do not, millions of lives will continue to be lost too soon.

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“The global community has the chance to change the course of the NCD epidemic.”Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General, WHO.​

The report states that most premature NCD deaths are preventable. Of the 38 million lives lost to NCDs in 2012, 16 million or 42% were premature and avoidable – up from 14.6 million in 2000.

Nearly 5 years into the global effort to reduce premature deaths from NCDs by 25% by 2025, the report provides a fresh perspective on key lessons learned.
Premature NCD deaths can be significantly reduced through government policies reducing tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity, and delivering universal health care. For example, in Brazil the NCD mortality rate is dropping 1.8% per year due in part to the expansion of primary health care.

But the report calls for more action to be taken to curb the epidemic, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where deaths due to NCDs are overtaking those from infectious diseases. Almost three quarters of all NCD deaths (28 million), and 82% of the 16 million premature deaths, occur in low- and middle-income countries.