Every two seconds, someone under the age of 70 dies from a chronic illness, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates.
That’s nearly 17 million lives lost prematurely each year, lives cut short not due to accidents or rare conditions, but by preventable diseases like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory illnesses.
Referred to as chronic illnesses, or non-communicable diseases (NCDs) together, they account for nearly three-quarters of all deaths globally, according to the WHO.
Yet only around 2% of global health funding is directed towards tackling them. This represents a staggering mismatch given the scale of the crisis.
Silent epidemic
Chronic diseases are often referred to as the ‘silent epidemic’, not because they’re rare or silent, but because they creep into daily life, frequently unnoticed until it’s too late.
However, there’s good news: many of these diseases are preventable. And prevention does not start in the doctor’s office.
It starts with us – in our homes, workplaces, schools, and communities.
Most of the major risk factors for chronic diseases are well known and, crucially, they can be acted on.
Common risk factors include tobacco use, harmful alcohol consumption, poor diet, physical inactivity, and exposure to air pollution.
The impact these factors have on the global population is staggering.
More than eight million deaths each year are linked to tobacco alone, while another eight million are associated with unhealthy diets.
In contrast, fewer than 1.5 million die in road traffic accidents annually.
Small behavioural shifts
Our behavioural shift doesn’t have to be seismic. It can start small – a brisk daily walk, cooking at home more often, getting enough sleep, choosing water over sugary drinks.
Every action matters, and their effects add up over time. They help build resilience and lower our lifetime risk of developing one or more chronic diseases.
Prevention isn’t just about saying no to cigarettes or cutting out sugar. We need to foster environments and cultures that support healthier decisions.
That means making fresh food affordable and accessible, designing cities where walking and cycling are safe and encouraged, and supporting or encouraging schools and workplaces to promote mental and physical wellbeing.
Identify the early warning signs
Improving health literacy and prioritising wellbeing is crucial. Many people do not recognise the early warning signs of chronic illness.
Symptoms like persistent tiredness, weight fluctuations, breathlessness or frequent thirst can often be brushed off as a fact of life.
Spotting the early warning signs and seeking the right support can change the trajectory of someone’s health.
High-impact awareness campaigns are needed to educate the public, especially the lesser-known risk factors and warning signs.
For decades, global health priorities have focused on infectious diseases like HIV, malaria, and most recently, Covid-19. But it’s time to rebalance the equation.
Chronic diseases are now the leading cause of death worldwide, and unless we act decisively, they will take more lives, create more suffering, and result in more economic damage than any other health issue this decade.
Collective effort
Preventing disease is not the sole responsibility of health professionals. It is a collective effort and it starts with personal action backed by public policy.
Governments must step up with stronger regulation, funding for community-level prevention programmes, and national campaigns that make healthy choices easier and more appealing.
As individuals, we also have a role to play, not only in changing our own habits, but in encouraging those around us to do the same.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but there is one undeniable truth: the most powerful medicine isn’t always found in a pill; it’s found in prevention.
In the food we eat, the way we move, the air we breathe, and the knowledge we share.
It’s time we stop treating chronic disease as inevitable. Instead, let’s treat it for what it really is, a preventable epidemic that we all have the power to confront.
