Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are often called "silent killers" because heart attacks and strokes are a common first warning sign of an underlying disease. High blood pressure is the most frequent and most important risk factor for CVDs. Its prevalence is estimated to be about 20 million in the African Region.

The most common symptom of coronary artery disease is angina. Angina is often described as a pressure, heaviness, discomfort, aching, burning or a painful feeling in the chest. The symptoms can often be mistaken for indigestion or heartburn.

The burden of cancer has been on the increase over the past few decades. In 2012 alone, 8.2 million people worldwide were estimated to have died from cancer. More than two thirds of these deaths occurred in low- and middle- income countries.

The most common cancers in the African Region are cancers of the cervix, breast, liver and prostate as well as Kaposi's sarcoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.