Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are described as Africa's "silent epidemic" because much of the true burden is not visible, according to corroborated reports. WHO officials stated that Africa has only partial visibility of the true burden of NCDs. The World Health Organization has warned that NCDs are among the biggest development challenges facing the African continent, with the number of deaths steadily rising and health systems under increasing strain.

Africa is experiencing a dramatic increase in the prevalence of NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and respiratory diseases. The burden of NCDs accounts for a growing share of deaths across Africa, driven by risk factors such as unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and air pollution. There is a growing concern that non-communicable diseases are being overlooked in Africa, as infectious diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis have traditionally dominated the global health agenda.

Systemic weaknesses in African health systems include fragile supply chains and persistent health worker shortages. Nearly half of Africa's health workers reportedly consider migration. Initiatives such as PEN-Plus have trained thousands of mid-level providers in 20 countries to manage severe NCDs at the district level.

The 4th Global NCD Alliance Forum was held in Kigali. Katie Dain, CEO of the NCD Alliance, stated at the forum that the NCD story is about morbidity, not only mortality and death. The African NCD landscape includes a range of less-discussed NCDs beyond the "big four" (cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases).