Noncommunicable diseases

Major NCDs – such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic obstructive respiratory diseases – are responsible for 86% of deaths and 77% of the disease burden in the WHO European Region. They are a major cause of premature mortality in the Region and a major contributor to the health gap between countries in the eastern and western parts of the Region, but are largely preventable. The most prominent shared common risk factors are tobacco use, unhealthy diet, low physical activity, alcohol misuse and mental stress and a disadvantaged socioeconomic environment.