Gambia
Leading cause: Heart Disease · 76% plant-based · 62.1 yr life expectancy · UHC 53/100
What People Eat
Cardiovascular and dietary profile drawn from WHO Global Health Estimates. Plant-based score reflects the share of whole plant foods (grains, legumes, vegetables, fruit, nuts) in the typical national diet.
Disease Burden
Leading cause of death: Heart Disease · 168 / 100k
Bars show each rate against the global range; the tick marks the world median.
Heart disease (168/100k) leads mortality amid a plant-forward diet of rice, groundnuts, and fish. Very low health spending (~$30/person) and a heavy infectious-disease burden, not diet, are the main constraints on the 62-year life expectancy.
Healthcare System
Sources: WHO UHC Service Coverage Index (SDG 3.8.1) & WHO Global Health Expenditure Database. Latest available year.
What Could Improve
- Prioritise primary-care access, maternal health, and hypertension detection over dietary change.
- Protect the groundnut-and-rice diet as processed foods arrive.
Explore the evidence: Heart Disease
WHO Global Health Estimates · 2022 · age-standardized country data
→ 168 CVD deaths per 100k · 76% plant-based diet