Non-communicable diseases, also known as chronic diseases are typically long-term ongoing conditions that cannot be directly transmissible between people, making them ‘chronic’ in nature.
At GACD, our focus is on non-communicable diseases (NCDs). NCDs are caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, and behavioural factors.
NCDs kill 43 million people each year, with over three quarters of deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Children, adults and the elderly are all vulnerable to the risk factors contributing to NCDs, whether from unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, exposure to tobacco smoke, or the harmful use of alcohol or air pollution.
The ‘big five’ NCDs are cardiovascular diseases (including high blood pressure), cancer, lung diseases, diabetes, and mental health conditions, but non-communicable diseases also include many other conditions, such as sickle cell disease, chronic kidney disease, autoimmune conditions and musculoskeletal conditions, among others.
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