Achieving universal health coverage requires a strong response to the growing burden of NCDs
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) tend to be of long duration and are the result of a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioural factors. NCDs, including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease, are collectively responsible for almost 70% of all deaths worldwide. Almost three quarters of all NCD deaths, and 82% of the 16 million people who died prematurely, or before reaching 70 years of age, are in low- and middle-income countries. The UHC Partnership supports countries in delivering innovative and equitable solutions for the prevention and management of NCDs. The Partnership works with countries, through a primary health care approach, to integrate NCDs as part of a more efficient health system that is capable of accelerating the delivery of prevention and management support as part of an array of essential services, even as countries face pandemics and other major threats to health.
Learn more: Read this deep dive on how the UHC Partnership supports countries in NCD prevention and management.
Tools and resources
Building an NCD-ready workforce: technical meeting report, Geneva, Switzerland, 3-4 June 2021
Meeting report: Strengthening NCD service delivery through UHC benefit package: technical meeting report, Geneva, Switzerland, 14-15 July 2020
WHO NCD document repository: Find policies, strategies and action plans from countries
WHO health topic page on NCDs: Get the latest WHO guidance, news, fact sheets, publications, social media assets and more
Check this space for the monthly sessions of the NCD Hard Talks Webinar series
Read stories from the field and learn how countries are tackling the growing burden of NCDs with a primary health care approach