Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are diseases that are not passed from person to person, that is they are not transmissible directly from one person to another. They are of long duration and generally of slow progression.
The five main types of NCDs are cardiovascular diseases (e.g. heart attacks and stroke), certain cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (e.g. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma), type 2 diabetes, and mental disorders. Others include Parkinson's disease, autoimmune diseases, chronic kidney disease, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, cataracts, etc. NCDs may be chronic or acute. Most are non-infectious, although there are some non-communicable infectious diseases, such as parasitic diseases in which the parasite's life cycle does not include direct host-to-host transmission.
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease, are collectively responsible for almost 70% of all deaths worldwide. NCDs – primarily heart and lung diseases, cancers and diabetes – are the world’s largest killers, with an estimated 38 million deaths annually. Almost three quarters of all NCD deaths, and 82% of the 16 million people who died prematurely, or before reaching 70 years of age, occur in low- and middle-income countries.
NCDs, primarily cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancer, and diabetes, are responsible for 71% of deaths worldwide, causing 15 million deaths in the prime of people lives - between the ages of 30 and 70 years - creating a global health epidemic that calls for immediate action. In addition, mental health conditions and disorders are a major concern, with depression alone affecting 300 million people.
The epidemic of NCDs poses devastating health consequences for individuals, families and communities, and threatens to overwhelm health systems. The socioeconomic costs associated with NCDs make the prevention and control of these diseases a major development imperative for the 21st century.
