The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on people with NCDs and on health care delivery for NCDs.[1] Those with NCDs and NCD risk factors have increased susceptibility to COVID-19 infection and increased  likelihood of worse outcomes, including in younger people.[2]

Since almost one-quarter of the world’s population is estimated to have an underlying condition that increases their vulnerability to COVID-19, and most of these conditions are NCDs, this has enormous public health significance.[3] Age is the first determinant for severe COVID-19 outcomes, mainly due to the increased prevalence of NCDs with age. The term ‘syndemic’ has been used to describe how communities are experiencing COVID-19 and NCDs as a co-occurring, synergistic pandemic that is interacting with and increasing social and economic inequalities.[4]

Furthermore, the pandemic has posed a particular threat to migrants and people in fragile and humanitarian settings with chronically weak health systems, disrupted supply chains for medicines and basic supplies for COVID-19 and/or NCDs, overcrowded space and shelter and insufficient hygiene and sanitation facilities.

COVID-19 and NCDs interact in a number of ways, including a large impact on health care systems:

• NCDs and their metabolic, behavioural and environmental risk factors, including being overweight and obese, are associated with greater susceptibility to COVID-19 infection and increased risk of severe disease and death from COVID-19.[5]

• The pandemic has severely disrupted diagnostic, treatment, rehabilitation and palliation services for people at risk of NCDs or living with NCDs, and there will be significant backlogs for investigating, treating and caring for people living with or at risk of NCDs.[6]

• The pandemic and measures taken in response (e.g. lockdowns) are, for some people, increasing certain behavioural risk factors for NCDs, such as physical inactivity, tobacco use, unhealthy diet and harmful use of alcohol.

• Pressure on health services is likely to increase in the long term once they are restored because of possible increases in cardiovascular, metabolic (e.g. diabetes) and respiratory complications among COVID-19 survivors.

• The public and political attention paid to the pandemic has, in many places, resulted in difficulty in maintaining population preventive interventions for tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.

During the pandemic the Task Force came together once a week to allow its members to prioritize action to support Member States respond to NCDs and the challenges of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The summary of these meetings are available below.

COVID-19 related websites of UNIATF members (last updated 26 June 2020)