Context
There is an urgent need to improve outcomes for people living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
As one of the greatest health challenges of the 21st century, NCDs require immediate attention and evidence-based policies to mitigate their impact. They are the leading cause of ill health and death worldwide: 74% of all deaths, or 41 million each year, are due to NCDs. Nearly 42% of people who die due to an NCD are younger than 70. The four most common NCD groups – cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic respiratory disease (CRD) and diabetes – account for more than 80% of those premature deaths.
Respiratory infections are a major challenge to people living with NCDs as well as health systems, which are often already over-burdened and under-resourced. Individuals with NCDs are more susceptible to severe illness, hospitalisation and death from respiratory infections than those without NCDs.
However, the risk of serious illness associated with these infections can be significantly reduced through immunisation. Preventing respiratory infections among people living with NCDs also brings wider health system and societal benefits, ranging from immediate cost savings due to reduced demand on healthcare resources, to longer-term savings due to maintaining better health and improved productivity.
Despite their significant benefits, uptake of immunisations against respiratory infections among adults living with NCDs is inadequate.
