It’s not only bullets that kill ...

– Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk and aid agency Red Cross have teamed up to try to improve the treatment of chronic diseases among the millions affected by conflicts and humanitarian crises in countries such as Syria and Yemen.

Non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as diabetes and hypertension, also known as chronic diseases, kill 40 million people per year, equivalent to 70% of all deaths globally, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

“NCDs are a silent killer and often overlooked during times of armed conflict,” said Peter Maurer, president of the international committee of the Red Cross.

“If you look at Yemen, Syria, Iraq and beyond, thousands will remain with life-threatening illnesses if they are not able to receive essential medical supplies such as insulin.”

Novo Nordisk, the world’s largest diabetes drugmaker, said it would contribute 21.5 million Danish crowns (R42 million) and adapt its ordering and production procedures to better serve the needs of humanitarian organisations.

Cardiovascular diseases account for most NCD deaths – about 17.7 million people annually – followed by cancers (8.8 million), respiratory diseases (3.9 million), and diabetes (1.6 million), according to WHO.

The risk of exacerbating chronic diseases for people living in humanitarian crises are two to three times higher than under normal conditions, Novo Nordisk said in a statement.

It is estimated that diabetes causes one in four limb amputations in patients at Red Cross centres in Yemen. –