AIDS & HEART ATTACK

INTRODUCTION

women with depression, men with heart disease: Africa has acquired the so-called diseases of the wealthy, but without the wealth.

Chronic, non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes, are by far the world’s leading cause of mortality, representing 60 percent of all deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Of the 35 million people who died from chronic diseases in 2005, half were younger than 70. WHO projects that, globally, non-communicable disease-related deaths will increase by 17 percent over the next 10 years and even more severely in Africa, where up to a 27 percent increase is projected.

However, international health aid to Africa has largely been limited to communicable diseases, reproductive health and disaster relief. While we must continue to address these issues, African health systems also deserve attention, as they are systematically failing to address chronic disease epidemics. The reasons are many: overburdened health-care systems that are unable to meet the needs of chronic diseases and acute communicable diseases; a lack of donor attention (there is no Millennium Development Goal related to chronic disease epidemics); poor infrastructure; and poor governance. As a result, deaths from cardiovascular disease, depression and cancers may soon overwhelm the fragile health infrastructure of developing countries. Africa’s “double disease burden” of acute communicable disease and chronic disease demands an enhanced response.