- English
- Español
- Home
- Topics
- Countries
- Resources
- Publications
- Data
- PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centres
- Track your shipment
- Regional Revolving Funds
Initiatives
- The Decade of Healthy Aging
- Elimination Initiative
- Migration and Health in the Americas
- HEARTS in the Americas
- Sustainable Health Agenda for the Americas 2018-2030
- Alerts and Epidemiologic Updates
Documents
- Mandates
- Technical and Scientific Products
- News
- Resources for Journalists
- News Releases
- Country News
- Technical Unit News
- Events
- Stories
Communication materials
- Brochures
- Infographics
- Champions of Health
- Public Health Heroes
- Collaborators
Campaigns
- Past campaigns
- PAHO/WHO Newsletters
- PAHO Calendars
- About
About PAHO/WHO
- History of PAHO
- PAHO's Former Directors
- Organizational Chart
- Statement of Assessed Contributions due from Member States
What We Do
- Communicable Disease Prevention, Control, and Elimination
- Comprehensive Immunization
- Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health
- Innovation, Access to Medicines and Health Technologies
- Social and Environmental Determinants for Health Equity
- Health Emergencies
- Health Systems and Services
- Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health
Governing Bodies
- Pan American Sanitary Conference
- Directing Council
- Executive Committee
- Subcommittee on Program, Budget and Administration
Careers at PAHO
- Internships
- Partnerships
- Office of Internal Audit
Director's Page
- Speeches
- Home
- Topics
- Noncommunicable Diseases
Chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the number one cause of death and disability in the world.
The term NCDs refers to a group of conditions that are not mainly caused by an acute infection, result in long-term health consequences and often create a need for long-term treatment and care. These conditions include cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic lung illnesses.
Many NCDs can be prevented by reducing common risk factors such as tobacco use, harmful alcohol use, physical inactivity and eating unhealthy diets. Many other important conditions are also considered NCDs, including injuries and mental health disorders.
Key facts
- Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) kill 41 million people each year worldwide, equivalent to 71% of all deaths globally. In the Region of the Americas, 5.5 million deaths are by NCDs.
- Each year, 15 million people -2.2 million in the Region of the Americas - die from a NCD between the ages of 30 and 69 years; over 85% of these "premature" deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
- Cardiovascular diseases account for most NCD deaths, or 17.9 million people annually, followed by cancers (9.0 million), respiratory diseases (3.9million), and diabetes (1.6 million), globally.
- These 4 groups of diseases account for over 80% of all premature NCD deaths.
- Tobacco use, physical inactivity, the harmful use of alcohol and unhealthy diets all increase the risk of dying from a NCD.
- Detection, screening and treatment of NCDs, as well as palliative care, are key components of the response to NCDs.
Fact sheet
Modifiable behavioral risk factors
Modifiable behaviors, such as tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, and the harmful use of alcohol, all increase the risk of NCDs.
- Tobacco accounts for over 7.2 million deaths every year (including from the effects of exposure to second-hand smoke) and is projected to increase markedly over the coming years.(1)
- 4.1 million annual deaths have been attributed to excess salt/sodium intake.(1)
- More than half of the 3.3 million annual deaths attributable to alcohol use are from NCDs, including cancer.(2)
- 1.6 million deaths annually can be attributed to insufficient physical activity.(1)
Metabolic risk factors
Metabolic risk factors contribute to four key metabolic changes that increase the risk of NCDs:
- raised blood pressure
- overweight/obesity
- hyperglycemia (high blood glucose levels) and
- hyperlipidemia (high levels of fat in the blood).
In terms of attributable deaths, the leading metabolic risk factor globally is elevated blood pressure (to which 19% of global deaths are attributed),followed by overweight and obesity, and raised blood glucose.
PAHO Response
The Pan American Health Organization promotes, coordinates, and implements technical cooperation activities directed to the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), related risk factors, disabilities, and mental, neurological and substance abuse disorders that are sound and appropriate for the culture and society.
PAHO raises political and public awareness and understanding of the burden of the most common NCDs, related risk factors, mental or neurological conditions, and leads multi-sector and multi-stakeholder strategic and collaborative efforts aimed at strengthening Member States' capacity to promote and protect health through public policies, programs, and services. This will reduce risks and disease burden in order to improve the physical, mental, and social well being of the population.
NCDs in the Region of the Americas: celebrating PAHO’s 120 years
SURVEILLANCE OF NCDs
Improving CVD Clinical Management through HEARTS Implementation in the Context of COVID-19 and NCD Surveillance in the Caribbean
A workshop to improvecardiovascular risk management in the context of COVID-19 was conducted during two and a half days (from 16 to 18 May), followed by a one and a half workshop on noncommunicable diseases surveillance (18-19 May).
Access here
RaMPS: Rapid Mobile Phone Survey
A tool to complement the NCD surveillance toolbox measuring NCDs policies and interventions at the population level.
Access here
SIDS High-level technical meeting on NCDs and mental health
Barbados, 17-18 January, 2023
The World Health Organization, the Pan American Health Organization and the Government of Barbados are co-hosting a High-level technical meeting on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) andmental health in recognition of the high burden of NCDs and the impact of climate and COVID-19 on health and economies in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The meeting will serve as a follow up to the virtual WHO SIDS Summit for Health held in July 2021 and will be a precursor to the SIDS ministerial conference on NCDs and mental health due to be held in June2023.
The SIDS High-level technical meeting will be webcast for virtual participants and will look to engage heads of state and government, ministers of health from the WHO SIDS Member States, as well as technical experts from key regional and subregional bodies; partner governments and agencies; civil society; youth; public–private partnerships and academia.
"Best buys" for the prevention and control of NCDs
The prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) requires interventions aimed at the 4 main diseases and their risk factors. Appendix 3 of the 2013-2020 Global Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs proposes a series of cost-effective, evidence-informed public health interventions aimed at guiding decision-making.
RESOURCES
Tackling NCDs: 'best buys' and other recommended interventions
Download
Flyer: "Best buys" for NCDs
Download
Social media cards
Access the cards
Video
Noncommunicable Diseases and their Risk Factors
CAMPAIGNS
Latest news
COVID-19 eliminated a decade of progress in global level of life expectancy
PAHO/WHO and the Ministry of Health Join Forces: Second STEPS Survey Launched in Trinidad and Tobago to Combat Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases
PAHO congratulates Anvisa's decision that maintains a ban on electronic smoking devices in Brazil
- More
Stories
Youth Chefs Win World Health Day Cook-Off Competition
Mexico: the long road to tobacco control
Reaching 100,000 hearts on two islands
- More
Documents
All
Diabetes Clinical Pathway - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Diabetes Clinical Pathway - PERU
Diabetes Clinical Pathway - ARGENTINA
- More
Communication Materials
All
Rapid Mobile Phone Survey on Noncommunicable diseases and COVID-19: Suriname, 2023
Rapid Mobile Phone Survey on Noncommunicable diseases and COVID-19: Saint Lucia, 2022
PAHO/WHO STEP wise approach to noncommunicable disease (NCD) risk factor surveillance (STEPS)
Clinical pathway - REPÚBLICA DOMINICANA
- More
Mandates and Strategies
All
Annual Report 2021. Trinidad and Tobago: Responding to COVID-19 and Preparing for the Future
Annual Report 2020. Universal Health and the Pandemic. Resilient Health Systems. Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba
Joint statement on noncommunicable diseases and COVID-19
- More
Events
View Events
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support: Emergency Preparedness and Response
17 Jul 2024
Human Rights and Legislative Transformation in Mental Health
19 Jun 2024
Bridging Policy and Research for Suicide Prevention in the Americas: A Joint PAHO/NIMH Symposium on Suicide Prevention
13 Jun 2024
- More
More information
- NCDS AND COVID-19