Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as heart disease, diabetes and asthma, are the primary cause of death in Northern Ireland and impact low-income areas the hardest. The NCD Alliance Northern Ireland, a coalition of health care organizations dedicated to reducing the number of NCDs, reports, citing 2023 Global Burden of Disease data, that more than 15,000 people die from NCDs annually, accounting for around 89% of deaths, and that they disproportionately affect the most deprived communities.

NCDs pose a high risk for those living in poverty, which affected about one in eight people in Northern Ireland in 2024-25. Healthy life expectancy was 13.6 years shorter for males and 14 years shorter for females in the most deprived areas than in the least deprived areas. In 2024-25, approximately 12% of individuals lived in relative poverty and 12% in absolute poverty, measured before housing costs. However, U.K. health organizations work to decrease the number of NCDs in Northern Ireland through prevention and advocacy. Below are three examples of U.K. and Northern Ireland organizations combating the diseases impacting Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS)

One of the most common NCDs impacting Northern Ireland is heart disease, but Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke works to change that through prevention, direct care, research and campaigning. Some of its programs include performing Well Checks for individuals and communities, providing education programs, researching NCDs and campaigning for heart care policies. Part of its Well Checks program offers pop-ups for communities struggling in deprived areas.

Another program, Well Schools, offers preventive education about heart health for children. This preventive education can reach children in low-income communities, where “inadequate income can translate into poorer health.” NICHS’s 2024-25 Impact Report disclosed that it supported 2,807 people and provided 4,936 support activities that year.

Asthma + Lung UK Northern Ireland

Respiratory disease is another leading cause of death for those suffering from diseases impacting Northern Ireland. Asthma + Lung U.K. Northern Ireland estimates that “one in five people [in Northern Ireland] have been diagnosed with a lung condition at some point in their lives.” In 2019-23, the standardized respiratory death rate for people under 75 was about 3.3 times as high in the most deprived areas as in the least deprived areas. Air pollution is a risk factor for respiratory illness. Belfast City Council’s Air Quality Action Plan states poor air quality is often found in lower-income communities.

One of Asthma + Lung U.K. Northern Ireland’s main focuses is working to reduce air pollution. In its manifesto, Fighting for Northern Ireland’s Right to Breathe, it calls for preventive policies: the creation of a Clean Air Strategy and a Northern Ireland Clean Air Act, the creation of a Clean Air Fund for local authorities with higher levels of exposure, alongside increased and improved pollution monitoring and investment in public transportation.

Diabetes UK Northern Ireland

Diabetes U.K., the parent organization of its Northern Ireland division, is committed to reducing the number of people with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes through prevention and education. One of the main risk factors for type 2 diabetes is living with obesity or being overweight, which can make it harder for the body to manage blood sugar. The charity also links increased type 2 diabetes risk to consumption of sugary drinks, refined carbohydrates, red meat and salt. For those living in poverty, lack of funds can make access to quality and nutritious food unaffordable.

In 2024-25, approximately 10% of children and 7% of working-age adults lived in food-insecure households, making access to sufficient, varied food harder. However, teams like Diabetes U.K. Northern Ireland work to provide education and care for those with type 2 diabetes, as well as educating people without type 2 diabetes to prevent it. Though they do not provide treatment, their Live Well Hubs offer a variety of communities information and support services from local health care providers and members of the Diabetes U.K. Northern Ireland team.

Looking Ahead

Though NCDs in Northern Ireland are a common risk, these three organizations are a great example of the work to combat noncommunicable diseases. In addition to their own work, all three are a part of the NCD Alliance Northern Ireland, which advocates on the political level for policy changes that reduce NCDs. Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke, Asthma + Lung U.K. Northern Ireland and Diabetes U.K. Northern Ireland are just three of many health care organizations dedicated to reducing the diseases impacting Northern Ireland.

– Brit Allen

Brit is based in Henderson, NV, United States of America and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

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