Tobacco: Risk factor for Non-Communicable Diseases

Cancers, Cardiovascular Diseases and pulmonary pathologies are at the center of which tobacco is directly involved.

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD’s), also called chronic diseases, are not transferred from one person to another. They are of long duration and evolve generally slowly. The four principal types of non-communicable diseases are cardiovascular diseases (Cardiovascular or cerebral accidents), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma) and diabetes.

Tobacco use, the first preventable risk factor for NCD

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the principal risk factors for NCD include tobacco use, poor eating habits, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol. Among the causes of death, tobacco use is one that can be better prevented. WHO reports about it, that smoking is a risk factor common to the four main non-communicable diseases groups (Cancer, Cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes), and kills more than 6 million people each year. We estimate that tobacco use is at the origin of close to 71% of deaths related to cancer of the lungs, 42% of chronic respiratory diseases and close to 10% of cardiovascular diseases respectively.

The C3T celebrates 10 years

This year, the Cameroon Coalition to Counter Tobacco (C3T) blows out 10 candles!

During this occasion, the network of associations fighting since 2006 for a Cameroon free from disease and deaths related to tobacco use,wishes to draw the attention of policymakers and communities about the impact of NCDs on individuals and society.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco is the only common risk factor to the four groups of NCDs.

NCDs are the principal cause of mortality in the world, with more than 36 million deaths per year. Poor countries are the most affected with the consequences of NCDs.