Africa wrestles with increasing deaths from non-communicable diseases

NPR | By Fatma Tanis

Published September 25, 2026 at 4:46 PM EDT

A new study from the Lancet out this week finds that non-communicable diseases accounted for nearly 5 million deaths across Africa in 2023, representing 45% of all deaths in Africa.

Fatma Tanis

Fatma Tanis is a correspondent covering global health and development for NPR.

See stories by Fatma Tanis

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