NCD Brief Four – Geography and NCDs

Geography and NCDs

Percept | January 2022

NCDs are the leading causes of death globally, but their burden and risk factors differ across
geographies. This brief describes the relationship between geography and NCDs. Geography is a
critical predictor of health, largely as a result of its’ effects on the social determinants of health, such
as poverty. This is particularly relevant in South Africa, a country with foundations in a history of spatial
inequality, resulting in a pattern of geographic health disparities.