By Green Focus Correspondent
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including cancer, heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes, and mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, now account for 74% of global deaths.
This alarming statistic was shared as 700 advocates, experts, and ministerial representatives from over 66 countries gathered in Kigali, Rwanda, for the 4th Global NCD Alliance Forum from February 13–15.
The number of people living with NCDs exceeds that of many other health issues combined: 1 billion people with obesity, 1.3 billion with hypertension, 1 billion with mental health disorders, and half a billion with diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases.
Katie Dain, CEO of the NCD Alliance, stated, “In the five years since our last Forum in Sharjah, UAE, we’ve lost 215 million people to NCDs. To put that in perspective, that’s the population of Nigeria.”
This is the first edition of the Forum held in sub-Saharan Africa, at a time when millions face health threats due to the freezing of development aid and long-standing health programs by the U.S. Administration, along with the U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO).
“The Trump administration’s freeze on development aid and potential dismantling of USAID has sent shockwaves through the global health community. It paralyzes health programs providing lifesaving medication and treatment, upending global health financing. Any setback to health financing impacts all health issues, including NCDs,” Dain noted.
The Forum serves as a key global health event in preparation for the 4th United Nations High-Level Meeting (HLM) on NCDs, which will take place in New York in September. It is co-hosted by the NCD Alliance and the Rwanda NCD Alliance, in collaboration with the Rwanda Ministry of Health and the Rwanda Biomedical Centre.
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust is a strategic partner.
The theme of this year’s Forum is “Leadership on NCDs Towards 2025 & Beyond.”
“We know how to reduce the NCD burden. We have the toolkit of solutions at our fingertips. What is needed is political leadership and financing to rapidly scale implementation,” Dain remarked. “We live in an era of polycrisis—pandemics, climate change, conflicts, and humanitarian crises are intertwined. At the center of this storm are people living with NCDs.”
While real progress has been made in reducing NCD risk factors, such as through the creation of healthier environments, the prevalence of tobacco use, unhealthy food, alcohol consumption, and air pollution remains high.
The world is set to miss the 2025 risk factor targets, and the upcoming UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs provides an opportunity to change course.
The dual burden of infectious and noncommunicable diseases presents unique challenges for many African countries, where HIV prevalence is higher than the global average.
Although HIV patients are living longer due to treatment programs, their risk of developing NCDs and neurocognitive conditions associated with aging is rising.
Exposure to risk factors such as tobacco, alcohol, unhealthy food, and air pollution, along with physical inactivity, stress, and mental health issues, are contributing factors.
Rwanda, like many sub-Saharan African countries, has seen significant increases in the burden of NCDs over the past two decades.
In response, the Rwanda Ministry of Health has implemented NCD strategies focusing on strengthening the health system.
Dr. Uwinkindi Francois, Division Manager for Noncommunicable Diseases at the Rwanda Biomedical Center, stated, “We recognize NCDs as a priority health issue in Rwanda and across sub-Saharan Africa. NCDs now account for more than a third of deaths in the region, up from 24% in 2000. In five years, NCDs will surpass HIV/AIDS, TB, and maternal mortality as the leading cause of death, meaning health systems must be prepared.”
Dr. Uwinkindi also highlighted Rwanda’s success in making treatment accessible to all, noting the country’s community-based health insurance scheme, which covers over 90% of the population, particularly benefiting vulnerable groups.
Dr. Joseph Mucumbitsi, Chairperson of the Rwanda NCD Alliance, said the role of civil society and people affected by NCDs in strengthening the response across sub-Saharan Africa.
He also pointed to increased public awareness of diseases like diabetes and hypertension, and stressed that tailored policies addressing risk factors like tobacco and air pollution will be critical in the years ahead.
“To prevent avoidable suffering and deaths from NCDs, we must continue strengthening sustainable UHC mechanisms to ensure access to early diagnosis and timely, quality care for those living with these conditions,” said Prof. Mucumbitsi.
In Rwanda and across Africa, efforts to improve the quality of life for those with severe NCDs are driven by collaboration between governments, NGOs, the private sector, philanthropic organizations, and other stakeholders.
PEN-Plus is an integrated care model focused on alleviating the burden of NCDs such as type 1 diabetes, childhood heart disease, and sickle cell disease by increasing access to high-quality chronic care.
