SUNScholar - Browsing by Author "Nyirenda, Moffat J."

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How environmental exposures early in life might influence phenotypes of non-cummunicable diseases in Africa
(African Sun Media, 2020) Mandy, Mirembe; Lule, Swaib A.; Nyirenda, Moffat J.
Chronic non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases are leading causes of death and disability in the world – accounting for over 60 per cent of the nearly 60 million deaths in 2008.4 Importantly, 80 per cent of non-communicable disease deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.5 Although Africa still has a high burden of infectious diseases, the non-communicable disease epidemic is rising rapidly; it is projected that, by 2030, non-communicable diseases will account for 46 per cent of all deaths in the region.6 For example, although diabetes was considered a rare disease in Africa until about a century ago, it now affects up to a third of the population in some countries; the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension will have increased by nearly 80 per cent, and deaths from ischemic heart disease doubled between 2008 and 2030. This chapter discusses how environmental exposures early in life might influence phenotypes of non-communicable diseases in Africa.