MaIn my country, Malawi, millions of people are facing an unprecedented existential crisis caused by climate breakdown. The frequency of extreme weather events and their devastating impacts on communities have left government officials like me in a major dilemma on how quickly to act to save lives. In the past three years, we have gone from the worst floods in recent memory to the most severe drought in a decade, the effects of which have been devastating to communities across the country.
when Cyclone Freddy hit us in March 2023that More than 600 people diedThe cyclone left many more injured, families torn apart, lives destroyed, and the long-term effects of illness even worse. A little over a year later, we In the midst of a severe droughtPresident Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera declared it a national disaster in March. Millions of people face severe food insecurity, which leads to malnutrition and health problems, endangering the lives of those undergoing long-term treatment for diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV.
Unlike a virus, NCDs are not contagious. They are caused by a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioral factors. The main types are cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (heart attacks and strokes). Around 80% are preventable, all of which are on the rise and spreading relentlessly around the world as aging populations and changing lifestyles due to economic growth and urbanization make ill-health a global phenomenon.
Once considered a disease of the rich, NCDs now also affect the poor. Disease, disability and death are perfectly designed to create and widen inequalities, with the poor being less likely to receive accurate diagnosis and treatment.
Investment in tackling these common chronic diseases that claim 71% of our lives is incredibly low, while the costs to families, economies and communities are staggeringly high.
In low-income countries, only a fraction of the funding needed for NCDs – typically slow-growing, debilitating diseases – is invested or donated. While the threat of communicable diseases continues to attract attention, cancer deaths far exceed those caused by malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS combined.
Common Diseases is a Guardian series reporting on NCDs in the developing world – telling the stories of their prevalence, solutions, causes and consequences, and people living with these diseases.
Tracy McVay, editor
“,”credit”:””}”>
Quick Guide
Common symptoms
show
The human toll from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is huge and growing: they claim around 41 million lives out of the 56 million deaths each year, three-quarters of which occur in developing countries.
Unlike a virus, NCDs are not contagious. They are caused by a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioral factors. The main types are cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (heart attacks and strokes). Around 80% are preventable, all of which are on the rise and spreading relentlessly around the world as aging populations and changing lifestyles due to economic growth and urbanization make ill-health a global phenomenon.
Once considered a disease of the rich, NCDs now also affect the poor. Disease, disability and death are perfectly designed to create and widen inequalities, with the poor being less likely to receive accurate diagnosis and treatment.
Investment in tackling these common chronic diseases that claim 71% of our lives is incredibly low, while the costs to families, economies and communities are staggeringly high.
In low-income countries, only a fraction of the funding needed for NCDs – typically slow-growing, debilitating diseases – is invested or donated. While the threat of communicable diseases continues to attract attention, cancer deaths far exceed those caused by malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS combined.
Common Diseases is a Guardian series reporting on NCDs in the developing world – telling the stories of their prevalence, solutions, causes and consequences, and people living with these diseases.
Tracy McVay, editor
Climate stresses have increased displacement and migration to urban areas, putting additional strain on health systems and people's mental health. Extreme weather also strains health systems through increased injuries and morbidity from diseases such as cholera and malaria. Loss of essential medical supplies, equipment and infrastructure also creates long-term complications for prevention and treatment across health programmes. These factors have led to a sharp rise in deaths. After Cyclone Freddy, we experienced the worst cholera epidemic in our history, which lasted for more than a year and More than 1,700 people died. This year, we are battling malaria, which now accounts for around 25 percent of hospital admissions. Women and girls, who already face challenges in terms of equity, access to resources and control over decision-making processes, are disproportionately affected.
But we are fighting back, accelerating interventions for the most climate-sensitive diseases while building agile, climate-resilient health systems that can withstand shocks caused by these extreme weather events. We are accelerating the hiring of health workers and equipping them with the tools to take on new challenges. We are building health centers to ensure the most vulnerable communities receive much-needed services. And we are leveraging mobile clinics that can be deployed in emergencies to provide access to life-saving care.
As weather patterns change, becoming more unpredictable and severe, information is key. If we cannot identify the challenges we face, we cannot plan, respond and be as effective as we can. Moreover, existing paper-based systems pose huge risks. When floods from Cyclone Freddy hit villages in southern Malawi, books and health passports containing residents' health data were washed away, highlighting the urgent need for digitalization in our country. In addition to data protection, electronic health records allow us to use large amounts of information to spot trends and build knowledge. This can help us reform healthcare delivery, improve efficiency and quality of care, and improve preparedness for future disease outbreaks.
We recognize that the people who are most affected by extreme weather and climate events in places like Malawi and across Africa are also the people who are least responsible for the climate crisis. But I don't think people understand how serious this is right now. The people who are affected live in communities that are least able to adapt and cope with climate impacts, and they mostly live in countries with a high disease burden. These countries and communities that have contributed the least to global warming are the ones paying the heaviest price. They are now paying the price for the impacts, and it is costing them their lives. The situation is getting worse, and some of the changes, such as migration, are having irreversible and significant effects on people and their livelihoods.
The largest emitters must invest more to reduce their contribution to the climate crisis, and they should also invest more in adaptation in areas such as global health to help countries already suffering from the severe impacts of climate change.
Perhaps the full extent of this is not yet clear to those who fund global development. COP28 hosted its first ever Health Day, and I hope this has sparked a shift in the global health community to recognise that the impacts of the climate crisis are already here and will be even more severe for the most vulnerable. 79th Session of the United Nations General AssemblyThis year's Climate Week marks the first time that health has been a key theme. The link between climate and health has never been more important. Recognizing this is a positive step, but we need to move from talk to action and financing that can act now and build climate-resilient systems for the future.
Wealthy countries can step up efforts to protect their health systems and sustain progress against climate-sensitive diseases in countries where they are disproportionately affected.
We cannot address the growing risks of the climate crisis alone, or mitigate its worsening impacts on vulnerable people. If we act together, based on the facts we have now, we can avoid the worst outcomes, support the most vulnerable, and create a more equitable world for all.
