The World Health Organisation estimates that for the year 2016, NCDs account for 51% of all deaths in South Africa (WHO, 2018). Communicable, maternal, perinatal, and nutritional conditions account for 40% of mortality, followed by cardiovascular diseases (19%), cancers (10%), injuries (9%), diabetes (7%), and chronic respiratory diseases (4%) (WHO, 2018). For the same year men were more at risk for premature deaths from NCDs – 32% compared to 21% of their female counterparts (WHO, 2018).

Data from 2015 ranked cerebral-vascular disease fourth on the top ten causes of years of life lost (YLLs) (Groenewald et al., 2017).

References:

Groenewald, P., Bradshaw, D., Day, C., & Laubscher, R. (2017). 14 Burden of disease. October 2012, 206–226. Available from: https://www.hst.org.za/publications/District%20Health%20Barometers/14%20(Section%20A)%20Burden%20of%20Disease.pdf

WHO. (2018). Non-communicable diseases (NCD) Country Profiles:South Africa. Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/274512