The burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) has been increasing over the past decade, with 41 million people dying each year, accounting for 74% of all global deaths. Cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes are the four major groups of diseases that contribute to over 80% of all premature NCD deaths (1). In Africa, over 1.6 million people aged 30 to 70 die prematurely each year from at least one of these four major NCDs. Common risk factors for NCDs include tobacco use, harmful alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, overweight/obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol (1). However, these risk factors do not fully explain the epidemiology and pathways of NCDs in African populations.