02 Jun NCDA Statement on WHO COVID-19 and NCDs rapid assessment, new blog on EU’s COVID-19 recovery plan, World Environment Day
The World Health Organization (WHO) conducted a rapid assessment and analysis of data provided by 155 countries (as of 18 May) examining to what extent people living with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are unable to access NCD treatment and care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Assessment has just been released and shows that 120 countries reported NCD care being disrupted by the virus. According to WHO, among the countries most affected by COVID-19 (community transmission): almost half of countries (46%) report disrupted services for cardiovascular emergencies (including heart attack and stroke), over half report disrupted cancer treatment (54%); and almost two-thirds report disrupted hypertension management (64%) and diabetes treatment (62%).
Katie Dain, CEO of NCD Alliance, said in a statement: “We were already suffering from chronic underinvestment in NCD prevention and treatment – including screening, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care – and the COVID-19 pandemic has come back to bite us as care and treatment essential to the wellbeing, recovery and even survival of people living with NCDs are being disrupted in almost every country.”