Written by Deborah Ayodeji, RD

You have just been Diagnosed with a Non-communicable Disease and you are wondering “where did I go wrong?”.

A Non-communicable disease is a non-infectious diseases i.e it cannot be passed from one person to another. It is usually chronic, meaning it lasts for a long time, and often managed rather than treated. One of the most common presidposing factor is being obese.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes, are the leading cause of mortality in the world but they are not death sentences if well-controlled or managed. They are caused by a combination of genetic, physiological, lifestyle, and environmental factors which are sometimes beyond one’s control.

Major lifestyle factors primarily linked to NCD’s include:

Unhealthy diets

Smoking

Lack of physical activity

Excessive consumption of alcohol

The burden is growing. The number of people, families and communities afflicted is increasing. However, the NCD threat can be overcome using existing knowledge; collaborative care, and a multidisciplinary team of health care providers. Everyone including you, your family, and friends have key roles to play in NCD management

To learn more about the treatment and management of NCDs as well as the specialists required, click here.