The Global Health Challenge
Pioneering affordable, innovative, and simpler life-saving treatments for people suffering from chronic diseases.
There are over 2 billion people suffering with chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes or heart disease. Reducing the non-communicable disease (NCD) burden is a global development imperative. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 includes the target 3·4: to reduce premature NCD mortality by a third by 2030. Progress on this target will have a central role in determining the success of at least nine SDGs.
The key statistics
According to the World Health Organization, the key facts are :
- NCDs kill 41 million people each year, equivalent to 71% of all deaths globally.
- Each year, 15 million people die from a NCD between the ages of 30 and 69 years. Over 85% of these “premature” deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
- Cardiovascular diseases account for most NCD deaths annually (17.9 million people), followed by cancers (9.0 million), respiratory diseases (3.9 million), and diabetes (1.6 million). These four groups of diseases account for over 80% of all premature NCD deaths.
- Tobacco use, physical inactivity, the harmful use of alcohol, and unhealthy diets increase the risk of dying from a NCD.
- The detection, screening and treatment of NCDs, as well as palliative care, are key components of the response to NCDs.
The factors behind the statistics
The enormous burden of chronic disease, and the associated demand for new treatments and novel approaches to care, is driven by several factors including:
- Ageing populations worldwide
- Global transition from infectious to chronic diseases
- Increased healthcare costs associated with life-long treatment needs
- Inadequate access to effective treatments, even in established markets
Despite the increase in healthcare expenditures, there remain significant market gaps that, if appropriately addressed, can significantly improve health and patient outcomes.
Investing in better management of NCDs is critical. The management of NCDs includes detecting, screening and treating these diseases, and providing access to palliative care for people in need. High-impact, essential NCD interventions can be delivered through a primary health care approach to strengthen early detection and timely treatment. Evidence shows such interventions are excellent economic investments because, if provided early to patients, they can reduce the need for more expensive treatment.
+2 billion
people suffer from chronic disease such as hypertension, diabetes or heart disease.
Many of these people remain undiagnosed, are on inappropriate treatment, or are unlikely to receive treatment whatsoever.
15 million
people die from a NCD between the ages of 30 and 69 years each year.
41 million
people die each year from NCDs, equivalent to 71% of all deaths globally.
Approximately 37% of these deaths occur before people reach the age of 70.
US$47 trillion
The United Nations has estimated that on top of the social and psychological burdens of chronic disease, the cumulative loss to the global economy could reach US$47 trillion by 2030 if things remain status quo.
Our response
George Health, a “profit with purpose” business, is well positioned to help address these market gaps by delivering high-impact, disruptive, affordable, and widely-scalable products and technologies developed from the world-leading research of The George Institute.
George Health is committed to ensuring that its impact extends to many millions of vulnerable people and is aligned with the United Nations SDG goal to reduce premature mortality from NCDs disease by 25% by 2030.
Contact us
If you would like to learn more about investment opportunities in George Health, our team and our work, we would be delighted to hear from you.