The noncommunicable diseases cause the largest number of deaths in the European Region of the World Health Organization and in the Republic of Moldova. According to the National Public Health Agency, nine in ten Moldovans die from noncommunicable diseases, such as heart diseases, cerebrovascular accidents, hypertension, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes. The data were presented by the Agency in connection with the 2022 Global Week for Action on NCDs that is held on September 5-11, IPN reports.
In 2021, the noncommunicable diseases prevailed in the structure of mortality in Moldova. Most of the deaths are caused by diseases of the circulatory system (56.5%), cancers (14.8%), chronic diseases of the digestive system (7.7%), chronic diseases of the respiratory system (4.0%), diabetes (1.2%).
The burden of NCDs is global. Nevertheless, the countries with small and medium-sized incomes, such as the Republic of Moldova, are the most affected ones. Moldova is among the countries with the highest death rate determined by NCDs in the WHO European Region, which is the most affected one by NCDs at the global level (86% of the deaths).
The health authorities said that if actions to remedy the situation are not taken, the number of deaths by 2030 will rise to 53 million, up from 41 million annual deaths at present.
COVID-19 underlined the importance of investments in preventing and treating NCDs given that over 90% of the persons who died from SARS-CoV-2 had one or several chronic diseases. The investment in NCDs is an investment in the capacity to prepare for and respond to pandemics and, respectively, to ensure health security.
A number of community mobilization and awareness-raising events centering on noncommunicable diseases will be staged nationwide in the course of this week. With the assistance of the Moldovan-Swiss project “Healthy Life: Reducing the Burden of Noncommunicable Diseases”, which is financed by the Swiss Cooperation Office, community mobilization activities will be held in 16 communities in eight districts. These will include launches of programs to prevent chronic diseases, organization of recreational areas at community level and gastronomic festivals.
