Urgent action on noncommunicable diseases

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are collectively responsible for 41 million deaths globally. Per the World Health Organization (WHO), this accounts for 74% of all deaths worldwide.

The WHO added that more than three-quarters of all NCD deaths, and 86% of the 17 million people who died prematurely, or before reaching 70 years of age, occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

NCDs are also referred to as chronic diseases as they tend to be of long duration and the result of a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental, and behavioral factors, explained the WHO. Furthermore, NCDs also share five major risk factors: tobacco use, physical inactivity, the harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets, and air pollution.

Cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks and stroke, account for most NCD deaths, approximating 17.9 million people annually. This is followed by cancers (9.3 million), chronic respiratory diseases (4.1 million), and diabetes (2.0 million including kidney disease deaths caused by diabetes).

NCDs have also become the major cause of disease burden in the Philippines. Moreover, premature deaths due to NCDs are most prevalent in poor communities. In 2019, NCDs accounted for about 70% of the 600,000 deaths nationwide. These are among the key findings of “Primary Health Care for Noncommunicable Diseases in the Philippines,” a study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) released in December 2020.

National data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the top three causes of death in the country from January to July 2023 were NCDs. These are ischemic heart diseases, cancer, and cerebrovascular diseases. Meanwhile, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the country is 36%, which is much higher than estimated global prevalence rates that range from 9% to 13%, according to a study by Filipino researchers published in the September 2023 issue of The Lancet.

According to the 2020 PIDS study, the Philippine health system is not equipped to combat NCDs, as it is designed to address infectious diseases and maternal and child health. This has led to a fragmented system of health services delivery, which makes the handling of NCDs difficult. The study recommends moving toward a primary healthcareoriented and integrated health system and addressing specific challenges in health governance, financing, service delivery, and human resources.

The biopharmaceutical industry has a long-standing commitment to bring innovative solutions, bridge the NCDs care gap, and accelerate Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our 2023 report “Action on NCDs: How the innovative pharmaceutical industry helps bridge the care gap” outlines four interconnected fronts that guide the industry’s action on NCDs.

First is innovation, which is investing on the discovery of new medicines and vaccines to prevent and fight disease. Second is availability which refers to promoting policies that drive expanded access to care. Third is empowerment of people living with NCDs, ensuring the design and implementation of policy solutions are co-created with people living with NCDs. The fourth is capacity building which is about working with health systems and their funders to build capacity that can effectively prevent, diagnose, treat, and manage life-long conditions.

The biopharmaceutical industry, being represented by the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), is putting forward policy recommendations to address NCDs.

Foremost in this set of recommendations is fostering an enabling environment for innovation and access to thrive. It involves ensuring policies and regulations are in place to promote innovation, support clinical trials, and improve access to medicines and vaccines.

Also an area for improvement is data generation and analysis of the NCD burden to leave no one behind. This relates to improving data systems and analysis of the NCD burden at global, regional, and national levels to identify and treat all people living with NCDs.

There is likewise a need to put multiple, sustainable financing mechanisms for NCDs in place. This is explained as developing sustainable and integrated financing mechanisms for NCDs within health systems that reflect each country’s needs and capacity. Integrating health awareness and promotion, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care as well as multi-sectoral collaborations will be important to address NCDs.

There is an urgent need to address the epidemic of NCDs in the Philippines today as they threaten individuals and families. If not abated, they can overwhelm and overburden the country’s health system that is still recovering from the COVID -19 pandemic.

TEODORO B. PADILLA is the executive director of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP). PHAP represents the biopharmaceutical medicines and vaccines industry in the country. Its members are in the forefront of research and development efforts for

COVID-19 and other diseases that affect Filipinos.