WHO: World "off track" in goal to reduce deaths from chronic diseases

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WHO World off track in goal to reduce premature deaths from chronic diseases

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios The World Health Organization warned in a report Wednesday that most countries are "far off track" in their efforts to reduce premature deaths from (NCDs), such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Driving the news: Chronic diseases are responsible for about 74% of deaths worldwide, with low- and middle-income countries disproportionately affected, according to the WHO. The organization estimates that chronic diseases claim one person's life every two seconds. One of the UN Sustainable Development Goals is to reduce premature deaths from NCDs by a third by 2030, but few countries are on course to achieve the target, the . The big picture: About 86% of the 17 million people under the age of 70 who died of chronic diseases in 2019 lived in low- and middle-income countries, according to the WHO. Regions with the highest probability of premature death from chronic diseases include sub-Saharan Africa, parts of Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and parts of central and southeast Asia, according to a new from the WHO.Risk factors for chronic diseases can include unhealthy diets, harmful use of alcohol, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, obesity and air pollution. Between the lines: The coronavirus pandemic highlighted the links between NCDs and infectious diseases, including the disruption to essential health services like cancer screening; lockdowns that led to less physical activity; and the greater risk people with NCDs faced in becoming seriously ill with COVID-19, the WHO said. What to watch: The WHO estimates that at least 39 million NCD-related deaths could be averted by 2030 if "every country were to adopt the interventions that are known to work." Those steps include a "strong national commitment to protecting people" from chronic diseases, better health care and more investment "in NCD prevention and treatment."

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