Noncommunicable diseases

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), also known as chronic diseases, are not passed from person to person. They are of long duration and generally slow progression. The four main types – cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases – impose a major and growing burden on health and development.

In the Western Pacific Region, 12 million people died from NCDs in 2019.  Despite progress in reducing premature deaths due to NCDs from 2000 to 2010, new risk factors and changing environments have reversed progress in some countries over the past decade. 

The main types of NCDs share modifiable behavioural risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity and harmful use of alcohol, which lead to four metabolic/physiologic changes – raised blood pressure, overweight and obesity, raised blood glucose and raised cholesterol, and ultimately disease. They continue to be an important public health challenge in all countries, including low- and middle-income countries where more than three quarters of NCD deaths occur.

One of the most important ways of reducing deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is to control the risk factors that lead to their development. These include reducing the use of tobacco and the harmful use of alcohol, maintaining an active lifestyle and consuming a healthy diet. Actions towards these goals are cost-effective ways for countries to reduce the number of NCD deaths. Tackling these risk factors can not only save lives, but also provide a huge economic boost for countries.

Beyond prevention, management of NCDs is critical. This includes detection, screening and treatment of the diseases, as well as palliative care for those in need. The vast majority of premature deaths from NCDs occur in low- and middle-income countries, where universal health coverage or access to health care services is often limited. The development and promotion of universal health coverage is therefore essential in tackling NCDs and working to reduce the number of preventable global deaths.

Surveillance of NCDs is another vital action for providing the information needed for policy and programme development for NCD prevention and control. Tracking and reporting on NCD related global targets and indicators to understand progress in NCD prevention and control are key activities. Accurate data from countries are vital to reverse the global rise in death and disability from NCDs, to support evidence-based decision making, and to help monitor and evaluate the progress being made.

WHO has worked alongside Member States, stakeholders, partners and experts to develop the Regional Action Framework for Noncommunicable Disease Prevention and Control in the Western Pacific, aimed at turning a “sick system” into a “health system” to end the NCD epidemic.

It calls on Member States, partners and stakeholders to:

• Strengthen mechanisms for collection and use of data and information for planning, monitoring progress and evaluating NCD policies and programmes.
• Develop policies that go beyond the health sector to enable health-promoting environments and address social determinants of health at national and subnational levels.
• Screen populations for major NCDs: cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases. • Strengthen primary health care to provide person-centred NCD management.
• Empower patients for self-management and adherence through health promotion, prevention and individualized data.

WHO supports countries in adopting new solutions to the NCD epidemic through a regional “grounds-up” arrangement, in which the Regional Office or country offices identify common problems and help Member States develop customized solutions based on their local contexts.