WHO alert on non-communicable diseases

The targets of reducing the death rate from non-communicable diseases by a third within two years are lagging behind worldwide.

While Denmark, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore and South Korea are leading the way, it is clear that the achievement of these objectives is falling behind or is significantly delayed in other countries. These findings were published in September 2020 in the report of “The Lancet”, a British medical journal. During the Covid-19 epidemic, these diseases represent a much greater danger for those affected by them.

On the UN 2030 Agenda

While the mortality rate is improving for stroke, heart disease and stomach cancer, the same is not true for diseases that could be avoided such as diabetes, lung, colon and liver cancers as well as cardiovascular diseases. Yet they represent a third of premature deaths.

The UN has adopted, as part of the 2030 Agenda, seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). One of these goals is SDG3 “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being at all ages”. One of the targets, “Non-communicable diseases”, aims to reduce the mortality rate of premature deaths by one third by 2030, and also promotes mental health and well-being.

New report

Deaths from non-communicable diseases affect people between the ages of 30 and 70. After an initial assessment in 2018, the new report from Imperial College London, WHO and the NGO “NCD Alliance” highlights the importance of combating these diseases in order to reduce the mortality rate. This report lists measures to be implemented such as, for example, increased control of tobacco and alcohol, banning their advertising, increasing taxes and producing neutral packaging.

It is also essential to produce relevant programmes to encourage cancer screening and ensure better access to appropriate medications for patients at risk. According to a statement by Bente Mikkelsen, Director of the Department of Noncommunicable Diseases at WHO, “Noncommunicable diseases cannot be allowed to become a generational catastrophe, synonymous with wasted human potential and exacerbating inequalities.”