The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark warning that global progress in reducing deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health conditions is slowing, putting millions of lives at risk.
In a new report, Saving Lives, Spending Less, WHO estimates that an additional investment of just US$3 per person per year could prevent 12 million deaths, avert 28 million heart attacks and strokes, and generate more than US$1 trillion in economic benefits by 2030.
While 82 percent of countries reduced NCD mortality between 2010 and 2019, 60 percent saw slower gains compared with the previous decade, and some nations even reported reversals.
The largest improvements came from reductions in cardiovascular disease and certain cancers, but deaths from pancreatic and liver cancers, as well as neurological conditions, are on the rise.
NCDs, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory illness, account for the majority of global deaths, with 32 million lives lost annually in low- and middle-income countries. Mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, also affect more than a billion people worldwide.
WHO urged governments to implement its proven "Best Buys" interventions, such as taxing tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks, strengthening hypertension control, expanding cervical cancer screening, and curbing harmful marketing to children.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed, "Investing in the fight against NCDs isn't just smart economics it's an urgent necessity for thriving societies."
The timing is critical, on September 25, 2025, world leaders will meet in New York for the Fourth UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and mental health, where they are expected to adopt a bold Political Declaration.
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