Understanding NCDs
Noncommunicable diseases have a few defining characteristics: They don’t spread from person to person. (In other words, they aren’t contagious.) They also usually last longer than a year — and often require long-term medical treatment.
You can use “noncommunicable disease” and “chronic disease” interchangeably. They mean the same thing.
And here’s an additional key piece of information to know: In most cases, NCDs are either preventable or can be managed so they don’t bring down your quality of life.