As 2025 drew to a close, the World Health Organization’s African Region released its latest Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD) Bulletin, highlighting both progress and urgent challenges in tackling conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory illnesses, and mental health disorders. These diseases, often referred to as “silent killers,” are now among the leading causes of death in sub-Saharan Africa, straining health systems and deepening poverty. The bulletin revealed that NCDs claimed at least 43 million lives globally in 2021, accounting for 75 percent of non-pandemic related deaths, and every two seconds someone under the age of 70 dies from an NCD.
Dr. Benido Impouma, Acting Director of the Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Control Cluster at WHO Africa, emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “Together, we must accelerate progress toward SDG target 3.4: reducing premature NCD mortality by one-third by 2030. We call on all leaders, countries and partners to act and invest in WHO’s ‘Best Buys’ to beat NCDs and ensure a healthier Africa.” His words reflect the scale of the challenge and the need for coordinated action across governments, civil society, and international partners.
The bulletin highlighted several initiatives already underway. The PEN-Plus project, which delivers integrated clinical services for severe NCDs such as type 1 diabetes, sickle cell disease, and rheumatic heart disease, is now being implemented in 20 countries, with over 15,000 people receiving treatment. All 47 WHO African Member States have adopted PEN-Plus, with a target for 70 percent to initiate services by 2030.
During the UN General Assembly, WHO Africa and partners reaffirmed their commitment to scaling up this life-saving model. Dr. Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa, noted, “PEN-Plus is a transformative model for integrating NCD care into primary health systems. It delivers equitable care for people across implementing countries, regardless of age or income.”
Another major initiative is the Women’s Integrated Cancer Services (WICS) project, which has already vaccinated more than 3 million girls against HPV and screened over 5,000 women for breast and cervical cancer. The project is bringing lifesaving cancer prevention and care directly into communities in Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. Stories like that of Judith Lungania, a 42-year-old mother from Kenya who was diagnosed early with cervical cancer thanks to WICS, illustrate the impact. “Screening early helped me, and today I am undergoing treatment. I want other women to know the importance of going early for screening,” she said.
Oral health has also emerged as a critical area of focus. In August 2025, African Member States adopted a new Regional Framework to accelerate the fight against oral diseases, which affect 42 percent of the population. By 2030, the goal is to reach 50 percent population coverage, reduce oral disease rates by 10 percent, and ensure 60 percent of countries have national oral health policies with dedicated budgets and staff.
Zambia has already begun implementing the framework, training oral health coordinators and integrating essential dental preparations into national medicine lists. Senegal’s Minister of Health reaffirmed commitment, stating, “We are committed to ensuring that we are at the forefront of protecting people against oral diseases.”
Mental health was another major theme. WHO Africa launched a new Mental Health Dashboard to drive data-led action, consolidating around 40 key indicators into one interactive platform. With 150 million Africans living with mental health conditions and a regional suicide rate of 11.5 per 100,000 population, the dashboard represents a decisive shift toward smarter, real-time surveillance.
Between 2020 and 2025, only 11 of 47 countries incorporated mental health and psychosocial support into their disaster preparedness plans, highlighting the need for stronger investment. WHO stressed that “access to mental health services during emergencies remains critically low, and government spending is far below what is needed to meet rising demand.”
The bulletin also revealed that more than 210 million Africans require rehabilitation services, yet two out of three people do not have access to the care they need. In response, African health ministers endorsed a landmark regional strategy to fully integrate rehabilitation into public health systems by 2035. This strategy aims to address conditions ranging from developmental disorders to road traffic injuries and mental health issues, ensuring that rehabilitation becomes a core component of universal health coverage.
In conclusion, the WHO Africa NCD Bulletin paints a sobering picture of the rising burden of noncommunicable diseases across the continent, but it also highlights innovative solutions and renewed commitments. From PEN-Plus clinics to WICS cancer services, from oral health frameworks to mental health dashboards, Africa is building momentum toward a healthier future.
The challenge now is to sustain investment, strengthen primary health care, and ensure that no community is left behind. As Dr. Impouma declared, “No child, no woman, no family should suffer or die from a preventable or treatable disease. Success is within reach if decisive action is taken.”
