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Time to Act on NCDs
and Build Back Better

#ActOnNCDs #BuildBackBetter

CANSA is a member of the South African Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance (SANCDA) and is partnering with the organisation to support the Global Week for Action on NCDs (7 to 11 September 2020). Hosted annually by the global NCD Alliance, the theme for 2020 is ‘Accountability’.

What are Non-Communicable Diseases?

A non-communicable disease (NCD) is a non-infectious health condition that cannot be spread from person to person. It also lasts for a long period of time. This is also known as a chronic disease. A combination of genetic, physiological, lifestyle, and environmental factors can cause these diseases.

Common NCDs

The four main types of non-communicable diseases include cardiovascular disease (heart attacks / strokes), cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes. Mental health problems are also considered a non-communicable disease.

Why Care About NCDs?

NCDs are currently the number one cause of death and disability globally and in South Africa, with the global NCD burden expected to increase by 17% by 2025.

Global Week for Action on NCDs

NCDs are currently the #1 cause of death and disability in the world, and the burden is disproportionately severe in low- and middle-income countries, where four out of five people with an NCD live. The Global Week for Action on NCDs aims to unite the NCD movement each year under a specific theme, concentrating our combined efforts with the aim of reducing the NCD burden globally and increasing health and equality.

The Global Week for Action on NCDs is an opportunity for all of us to take a step towards a world where everyone enjoys equal rights to health.

South Africa and Action on NCDs

The SANCDA and partners are urging government to help lower NCDs related deaths and implement ongoing, sustained care for people living with NCDs, during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The SANCDA makes the call for better monitoring, data and action on commitments and integrating NCDs into the COVID-19 response. The health needs of people with NCDs must be met at primary health care level close to the community within national health insurance (NHI). The treatment and management of NCDs, including pain medication, must be available and accessible to all NCDs patients.

Dr Vicki Pinkney-Atkinson, Director of the SANCDA says, “Accountability means that we, the people must monitor the commitments to act made by government and policymakers. We want to see that promises are kept and measured. Before COVID-19, the NCDs group of conditions caused most deaths in South Africa but remained neglected within government policy and budgets. COVID-19 has highlighted this neglect, and most people who die following COVID-19 infection, have one or more NCDs. People living with well managed NCDs have a better chance of survival. We have to keep on asking government for people living with NCDs to have proper access to care and medicines during the pandemic and into the future.”

Zodwa Sithole, CANSA’s Head of Advocacy, adds, “Everyone is affected by NCDs in some way, including a cancer diagnosis. Be it living with an NCD, caring for someone with an NCD or being at risk for an NCD. South Africans need to stand together and be voices of change, calling on government to step up with meaningful action to lower preventable suffering, death and disability from NCDs.” #CANSAadvocacy

Messages from People Living with NCDs

View full gallery here, and download “blank” selfie board to share your own message on your social media platforms…

Webinar

The SANCDA and CANSA are hosting a webinar on 15 September 2020 to profile Global NCD Week and focus on accountability and how to build back better health care for people living with NCDs after COVID-19.

All health media, global and national partners and people living with NCDs are invited to join us on the 15th of September 2020. No voice is too small and each voice can make a difference by putting pressure on government to deliver support to people with NCDs.

Chaired by Zodwa Sithole, CANSA’s Head of Advocacy, the webinar includes messages from high-level policymakers and the main address by Dr Vicki Pinkney-Atkinson, Director of SANCDA and a person living with over 20 NCD conditions plus input by the National Department of Health.

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