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TECHNICAL GUIDANCE

Invisible numbers: the true extent of NCDs and what to do about them

Source: World Health Organization

Overview

Source: World Health Organization

Published: 15 September 2022

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) – chief among them, cardiovascular diseases (heart disease and stroke), cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases – along with mental health, cause nearly three quarters of deaths in the world. Their drivers are social, environmental, commercial and genetic, and their presence is global. Every year 17 million people under the age of 70 die of NCDs, and 86% of them live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).