At a time when the world's attention is fixated on the coronavirus pandemic, millions across the world are struggling to gain access to the care they need for their non-communicable diseases (NCDs) - diseases that are not transmitted between humans. 

Even before the pandemic, NCDs kill about 41 million people each year, equivalent to 71% of all deaths globally. A look at the 2017 statistics by 'Our World in Data' revealed that: 

Against the backdrop of the pandemic, three quarters of the countries surveyed by the WHO reported considerable disruption to NCD health services. This is especially troubling as NCD patients are also more vulnerable to becoming severely ill or dying from COVID-19. In low to middle-income countries like Nepal, this issue becomes even more pronounced.

The call to focus on and invest in NCD health services has never been more urgent. In the short term, it will be essential for countries to include NCD management in their COVID-19 response plan. However, it would take a whole mindset shift to stop pitting infectious diseases against NCDs and start looking at patient care holistically.