Deaths from diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer are on the rise, putting more Kenyans at risk, a new report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed.
According to the 2025 World Statistics Report, premature deaths arising from the four Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are said to be on the rise, affecting the entire global population.
In the report, the rise in deaths was attributed to population growth and ageing, with the NCDs affecting people under the age of 70.
“Premature deaths from NCDs, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer, are rising, driven by population growth and aging, and now account for most deaths among people under the age of 70, worldwide,” the report read.
To compound matters further, the report painted a grim picture of progress being made to avert the current state of affairs, highlighting that the world was still far off from achieving its global targets.
“The world is currently off track to reduce NCD premature mortality by one-third by 2030,” it highlighted.
Even so, WHO observed a link between the rise in deaths caused by NCDs to the COVID-19 pandemic that had a significant impact on loss of lives, longevity and overall health and well-being. loss of lives, longevity and overall health and well-being.
“In just two years, between 2019 and 2021, global life expectancy fell by 1.8 years—the largest drop in recent history— reversing a decade of health gains,” the report read.
“Increased levels of anxiety and depression linked to COVID-19 reduced global healthy life expectancy by 6 weeks—erasing most of the gains made from lower mortality due to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) during the same period,” it added.
Further, WHO issued a warning on the recent disruptions in international aid, noting that this threatened to destabilise progress, particularly in countries with the greatest health-care needs.
Even so, WHO revealed cause for optimism, informing that improvements in health were still being recorded on a global scale. An estimated 1.4 billion more people were living healthier by the end of 2024, surpassing the 1 billion target.
The progress in healthier lives was driven by reduction in tobacco use, improved air quality and better access to water, hygiene, and sanitation.
