The World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed concern over slowing progress in reducing deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health conditions, warning that millions of lives are at risk without urgent and cost-effective interventions.
In a new report titled “Saving Lives, Spending Less”, WHO said an additional annual investment of just US$3 per person in tackling NCDs could yield economic benefits of more than US$1 trillion by 2030.
NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory illnesses, and diabetes, account for the majority of global deaths. Alongside these, over one billion people live with mental health conditions, with nearly 75 per cent of related deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. In total, these conditions claim an estimated 32 million lives each year, WHO said.
Although 82 per cent of countries reduced NCD mortality between 2010 and 2019, WHO noted that the pace of progress has slowed, with 60 per cent of countries experiencing stagnation compared to the previous decade.
Denmark recorded the largest improvements, while countries like China, Egypt, Nigeria, Russia, and Brazil also saw declines in NCD-related deaths. However, mortality from pancreatic, liver cancers, and neurological conditions continues to rise.
WHO officials emphasised that solutions exist and are both affordable and effective. These include taxation on tobacco and alcohol, curbing harmful marketing to children, scaling up hypertension management, and expanding cancer screening. The agency estimates that scaling up such “Best Buys” could save 12 million lives, prevent 28 million heart attacks and strokes, add 150 million healthy life years, and generate significant economic returns
WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, urged governments to act with urgency: “Noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions are silent killers, robbing us of lives and innovation. We have the tools to save lives and reduce suffering. Investing in the fight against NCDs isn’t just smart economics, it’s an urgent necessity.
