IXL Social Enterprise Case Studies Chronic Diseases October, 2013 | Page 7

Improving Chronic Disease Care in Slums by 2019

Cancer is a disease that can affect any part of the body and is defined by the rapid creation of
abnormal cells which can invade and spread to other organs. Metastases are the major cause of
death from cancer. The most frequent types of cancer differ between men and women; the most
common are lung, stomach, liver, colorectal and breast cancer.12
Respiratory diseases affect the air passages in the lungs. The two most common chronic
respiratory diseases (CRD) are asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Asthma is characterized by recurrent attacks of breathlessness and wheezing, while COPD
patients experience a persistent blockage of airflow from the lungs.13 14
Diabetes occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body
cannot effectively use insulin.15 There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2, the latter
being the most common, resulting from excess body weight and a lack of physical activity.
“We cannot afford to say, ‘we must tackle
other diseases first – HIV/AIDS, malaria,
tuberculosis – then we will deal with
chronic diseases.’ If we wait even 10 years,
we will find the problem is even larger and
more expensive to address.” – Olusegun
Obasanjo (former President of Nigeria)

Each of these types of diseases have different risk factors, but overall, it is said that there are four
main behavioral risk factors that contribute to chronic diseases. These include poor nutrition,
alcohol consumption, tobacco usage and physical inactivity.
These diseases are expected to take a larger toll in every region around the world.10 Each of these
diseases have different symptoms, affect people’s lives in distinctive ways, and require unique
treatments.

Figure 5. The percentage of deaths from chronic disease is expected to increase

Mental chronic disease is a leading cause of disability and lost productivity
Although it is not responsible for a high percentage of deaths, mental illness can have an
enormous impact on health and wellness. This medical condition disrupts a person’s thinking,
feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning. The different types of mental illness
include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviors.16
There are at least 60 million people with mental illness in slums around the world.
Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest.
Anxiety disorders include panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic
stress disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobias, and generalized anxiety disorder.
Schizophrenia is characterized by a breakdown of thought processes and by impaired emotional
responses. Eating disorders are diseases defined by abnormal eating habits involving excessive
or insufficient food intake to the detriment of an individual’s physical and mental health. Addictive
behaviors cover all types of activities, substances, objects or behaviors that becomes the major
focus of a person’s life to the exclusion of other activities.
All these cause distress and interfere with a person’s ability to function normally. It influences a
person’s ability to work, sleep, study, eat and do other daily activities. There are at least 60 million
people with mental illness in slums around the world.

Version 2.0, January 2014

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