Noncommunicable Diseases Climate Change
Extensive fire-driven degradation in 2024 marks worst Amazon forest disturbance in over 2 decades. Biogeosciences.
• Research & Reports
WHAT IS PLANETARY HEALTH?
Noncommunicable Diseases
The leading cause of death and disability across the globe each year, NCDs are rising along with the prevalence of risk factors worsened by anthropogenic changes.
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are a leading cause of global mortality, responsible for approximately 41 million deaths annually, equivalent to 74% of all global deaths, making their prevention and management critical public health priorities. Global environmental changes including climate change, biodiversity loss, freshwater depletion, deforestation, overfishing, ocean acidification, soil degradation, etc. increase the prevalence and severity of NCDs.
Air pollution, primarily from fossil fuel combustion, is a significant driver of global morbidity and mortality. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019 estimates that air pollution contributes to around one in six deaths annually worldwide. Long-term exposure to air pollution, especially in urban and densely populated areas, is linked to reduced lung function, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Climate change affects health through various direct and indirect mechanisms. Rising temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events—such as cyclones, floods, and storms—exacerbate health risks for individuals with chronic diseases. A systematic review of 48 studies from developed countries found that individuals with cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases faced increased risks of health complications following such disasters.
Increased heat exposure due to climate change is also associated with higher mortality rates, more emergency department visits, and increased hospital admissions for cardiovascular, respiratory, and kidney-related conditions. Additionally, climate change affects NCD risk through pathways linked to food and nutrition, further compounding the public health challenge.
Noncommunicable Diseases Resources
Noncommunicable Diseases Air Pollution
This Nation has the Fastest Rising Rate of Cancer Cases — and Deaths — in the World. NPR.
Lebanon is experiencing the fastest rise in cancer rates worldwide, with new cases increasing 162% and cancer-related deaths up 80% over the past 30 years, according to a recent study. The surge is driven by air pollution from vehicles and diesel generators, overuse of agricultural chemicals, and widespread smoking, which is fueling a spike in lung cancer.
• News
Noncommunicable Diseases Equity and Justice
The global, regional, and national burden of cancer, 1990–2023, with forecasts to 2050: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023. The Lancet.
Noncommunicable Diseases Climate Change
Growing Threat to Heat-Exposed Workers: Chronic Kidney Disease. Inside Climate News.
• News
Noncommunicable Diseases Nutrient Overloading and Cycling
Of Corn and Cancer: Iowa’s Deadly Water Crisis. The New Republic.
• News
News Related to Noncommunicable Diseases
Over one million people may die from wildfire smoke by 2050. Am I one of them?
