Somati found out she had sickle cell disease when she was 29 years old, after years of suffering from lower stomach pain, fatigue, and multiple other symptoms. She is one of many adults diagnosed with a noncommunicable disease, or NCD, later in life, suffering from an undetected illness that was preventing her from living a healthy life and providing for her family.
After her diagnosis, Somati — who is a single mother of three daughters — was worried that she may have passed on the disease to her daughters and whether treatment would be available for them. The family was able to seek screening, learn about prevention, and receive treatment thanks to efforts to strengthen the local health system in Nepal.
Since seeking treatment, Somati has been able to live a full and healthy life and is relieved that through early health intervention and prevention, her daughters will not have to endure the same harrowing experiences. However, for many others with NCDs, access to screening, preventive measures, and treatment remain elusive and the outcomes are much worse.
About the authors
Dr. Fouzia Shafique
Dr. Fouzia Shafique is the associate director for health at UNICEF headquarters and focuses on maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health, primary health care/health system strengthening, and digital health and information systems. She is also the global lead for UNICEF’s work on community health.
Cynthia Cardona
Cynthia Cardona is vice president of social impact for Eli Lilly and Company, a medicine company turning science into healing to make life better for people around the world. The social impact team at Lilly envisions a world where everyone has an equitable opportunity to live the healthiest life possible. Cynthia holds a B.S., M.S., and MBA from Stanford University.
