The SDC is working with local communities to promote healthy lifestyles and the prevention of noncommunicable diseases. It also supports the prevention, treatment and research on communicable diseases such as malaria, neglected tropical diseases, and HIV/AIDS.
The prevalence of noncommunicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and mental illnesses is on the rise in low and middle-income countries. Noncommunicable diseases are today the most frequent causes of death in most countries, except in African countries. However even there NCDs are rising rapidly and are according to the World Health Organisation projected to exceed communicable, maternal, perinatal and nutritional diseases as the most common causes of death by 2030.
