Despite what seems to be evidence in recent times, infectious diseases, such as Covid-19 or AIDSThey are not the deadliest. The list is headed by non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases. They alone, along with mental health, and kill 41 million people each year, are responsible for almost three quarters of deaths in the world and cause 17 million premature deaths each year.
It is denounced today by the report of the World Health Organization (WHO) ‘Invisible numbers: The true extent of noncommunicable diseases and what to do about it‘, which warns of the global threat to public health of these diseases.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, has urged world leaders to take urgent action on noncommunicable diseases, which are responsible for 17 million premature deaths every year.
The document denounces that every two seconds, a person under the age of 70 dies from a non-communicable disease, and 86 percent of those deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. «This great change in public health in recent decades has gone unnoticed», write its authors.
Every two seconds, a person under the age of 70 dies from a non-communicable disease
In addition, the report highlights a determining aspect that is that the main risk factors that lead to noncommunicable diseases are modifiable: tobacco use, unhealthy diet, harmful use of alcohol, physical inactivity and air pollution. “Removing these factors could prevent or delay significant health problems and many premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases.”
The information is being made public at a critical time for public health: by 2022, only a few countries were on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target of reducing premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases by a third by 2030, despite the fact that noncommunicable diseases are at the center of sustainable development and their prevention and treatment, is an excellent opportunity for investment that will have innumerable impacts on economic growth, far exceeding the money spent.
“This report is a reminder of the true scale of the threat posed by these diseases and their risk factors,” Tedros said. “There are cost-effective, globally applicable interventions that all countries, regardless of income level, can and should use and benefit from, saving lives and money.”
The document, unveiled today at the UN General Assembly, also shows cost-effective, globally applicable interventions that can change those numbers and save lives and money.