In poor, underdeveloped countries such as Haiti, The Gambia, and Papua New Guinea, many perceive the ongoing healthcare crises to comprise of undernutrition and infectious disease. But did you know that non-communicable diseases kill 41 million people every year? 77% of those deaths are in middle- and low-income countries.
What Are NCDs?
Typically long-enduring, non-communicable, or chronic, diseases are those conditions caused by a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental, and behavioral factors such as smoking or not getting enough exercise. While a person may develop these diseases over time, one does not catch them from someone else like a cold. Diabetes, hypertension, and cancer are all NCDs that affect millions around the world.
Most Prevalent NCDs
A leading cause of death worldwide, noncommunicable diseases are the cause of 71% of deaths around the world. Hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, and cancers all number among the most prevalent, as do chronic respiratory diseases such as COPD and asthma.
NCDs in Developing Countries
Understanding NCDs in developing nations is difficult at best. Less than half of the 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa cultivate in-country data-sources, for example. While The Gambia is one of those who does, the picture this data paints is grim. Hypertension is rampant (47%). Obesity and diabetes are both at concerning levels, as is multimorbidity, or having more than one, such as obesity and hypertension, which is not uncommon.
Want to Know More?
Read this article from The Standard Newspaper (The Gambia)!
In Papua New Guinea, 47% of deaths are due to NCDs; in Haiti 57%. Like The Gambia, many countries experiencing an increase in these types of diseases are making determined strides toward modernizing. People are moving to the cities, where diets and activities also urbanize – less exercise, more pollution, worse diet. This is not uncommon. In fact, rapid urbanization has caused a global spread of unhealthy lifestyles that leads to the increase of NCDs.
Studies have shown that some 85% of premature death (ages 30-70) and 77% of NCD deaths disproportionately occur in low- and middle-income countries.[1] In fact, the populations with the highest risk of dying from NCDs are in Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe.[2] Take The Gambia, for example. This small riverbank country in West Africa spends more on health than most other Sub-Saharan countries, yet Gambian healthcare continues to struggle with facilities, supplies, and services.[3] What resources they have are usually applied to infectious diseases such as polio.
Regardless of country, treatments for chronic conditions such as heart disease or asthma are lengthy and usually expensive. For those struggling day-to-day they can be a financial burden, even crippling. Sadly, WHO predicts a rapid rise in NCDs in the coming years, which is likely to impede poverty reduction initiatives in low-income countries like The Gambia and Haiti as healthcare costs associated with these diseases also increases.
You can help! Blackbird Global Foundation and Africa Health Link are deploying Health Pod kiosks that perform a number of health screenings and will make the detection and management of NCDs possible for even the poorest, most remote individuals. Every donation helps us bring these innovative, life-saving kiosks to the struggling countries of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Resources:
https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/langlo/PIIS2214-109X(23)00549-1.pdf
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/healthprotection/ncd/global-ncd-overview.html
[3] https://www.wathi.org/wathinote-election-gambie-2021-contexte-sanitaire/assessment-of-the-health-system-in-the-gambia-health-policy-plus-2019/