{"id":245472,"date":"2022-12-13T15:38:59","date_gmt":"2022-12-13T13:38:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/hypertension-diabetes-stroke-they-kill-more-people-than-infectious-diseases-and-should-get-a-global-fund\/"},"modified":"2022-12-13T15:38:59","modified_gmt":"2022-12-13T13:38:59","slug":"hypertension-diabetes-stroke-they-kill-more-people-than-infectious-diseases-and-should-get-a-global-fund","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/hypertension-diabetes-stroke-they-kill-more-people-than-infectious-diseases-and-should-get-a-global-fund\/","title":{"rendered":"Hypertension, diabetes, stroke: they kill more people than infectious diseases and should get a Global Fund"},"content":{"rendered":"

Noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular conditions account for 41 million deaths<\/a> each year. That\u2019s more than 70% of all deaths globally. Most of these deaths (77%) are in low-income and middle-income countries \u2013 including those in Africa. <\/p>\n

These conditions are currently more prevalent<\/a> than infectious diseases. Sixty-seven percent occur before the age of 40. Besides being the leading causes of death worldwide, noncommunicable diseases carry a huge cost<\/a> to individuals. These also undermine workforce productivity and threaten economic prosperity.<\/p>\n

Healthcare provision in much of Africa still relies on external donors<\/a>. There\u2019s insufficient funding to help low-income and middle-income countries control noncommunicable diseases. Most development assistance for health funding<\/a> provided by international donors is allocated for infectious diseases and maternal and child health. In 2019<\/a>, funding for HIV amounted to US$9.5 billion. The amount allocated to noncommunicable diseases was US$0.7 billion. <\/p>\n

Evidence suggests that addressing the noncommunicable disease pandemic can also mitigate other challenges like HIV, tuberculosis (TB), maternal and child health, and universal health coverage. <\/p>\n

The Global Fund<\/a> to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria is an international partnership. The fund invests US$4 billion a year to fight these three diseases. <\/p>\n

I believe it\u2019s now time to think of establishing a Global Fund for noncommunicable diseases, or expand the mandate of Global Fund beyond AIDS, TB and malaria. The epidemics of these conditions overlap. For example, research<\/a> has shown that comorbidities<\/a> such as diabetes and cancers are common in people living with HIV. <\/p>\n

Broadening healthcare provision<\/h2>\n

Disease specific programmes have limitations<\/a>. As public health practitioners we should learn from our mistakes. We must build integrated programmes and health systems that address the interlinkages and co-morbidities. One example would be to include diabetes screening in TB treatment programmes. <\/p>\n

In addition to integration, noncommunicable diseases require increasing investments. <\/p>\n

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The Global Fund is seeking US$18 billion this year. At the same time The Lancet NCD Countdown 2030<\/a> projects that interventions for noncommunicable diseases need US$18 billion a year. That\u2019s what it would take to meet the UN target of reducing noncommunicable diseases by a third by the year 2030. <\/p>\n

I would argue that the case for investment<\/a> in noncommunicable diseases has never been stronger. <\/p>\n

A roadmap<\/h2>\n

The World Health Assembly recently approved<\/a> the World Health Organization\u2019s roadmap for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases covering the period 2023-2030. <\/p>\n

The roadmap recommends actions to: <\/p>\n