Objectives: To figure out the burden of chronic noncommunicable
diseases in Iraq on the health system
through measuring the incidence and trend of these
diseases.
Methods: This descriptive study that was conducted
between January 2016 and 2017, involved treatment
data of chronic non-communicable diseases
(hypertension, diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart
disease, stroke, asthma and epilepsy). The data was
collected from the registry of the Department of
Health and Vital Statistics in the Ministry of Health,
Babylon, Iraq, between 2000 and 2016.
Results: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus had
significantly increased from 19.58/1000 in the year
2000 to 42.27 in 2015 (p=0.0002). The prevalence
of hypertension also increased from 31.33 to 45.82
(p=0.003) in the same period. The prevalence of
cerebrovascular accidents showed a significant increase
especially after 2008 (p=0.007), while ischemic heart
diseases increased from 6.3/1000 in the year 2000 to
8.2/1000 in 2014 with no significant change.
Conclusion: Non-communicable diseases in Iraq
continue to show as a new developing burden after
the 2003 war. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus
demonstrate rapidly rising trends which may, in turn,
enhance the occurrence of ischemic heart diseases and
cerebrovascular accidents.