A new study report by The Economist Intelligence Unit predicts that by the year 2030 chronic, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes will claim more lives in the sub-Saharan Africa region than infectious diseases.

Sub-Saharan African healthcare - the user experience and sponsored by Novartis finds that societal shifts such as urbanisation and fast economic growth, which taken alone are mainly positive contributor to the growth of chronic diseases by reducing healthy lifestyle options. For example, cities often bring more people into contact with pollution, or can be unsafe places in which to exercise.  And increased wealth enhances the options for making unhealthy choices, such as enabling motorised transportation instead of walking.

Widespread lack of understanding of non-communicable disease-related risk, and even of the nature of NCDs themselves, impedes prevention and treatment, the report finds.

The study also shows that non-communicable diseases place a crushing cost burden on a large number of patients, with a majority needing to borrow in order to fund treatment. Yet, expensive though it is, non-communicable diseases care in Africa is often of poor quality. The study finds that improvements in a variety of areas can start making a difference, however. These include: improving data, promoting prevention, empowering patients, expanding use of existing personnel and assets and introducing universal health care through self-help groups