The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health conditions are responsible for some of the most severe public health challenges of the century, accounting for tens of millions of deaths each year.
According to latest WHO figures, NCDs are now the leading cause of global deaths, while more than one billion people worldwide live with mental health conditions.
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The health body noted that nearly 75 per cent of deaths linked to these conditions occur in low- and middle-income countries. This translates to about 32 million lives lost annually.
In a new report released Thursday, titled “Saving lives, spending less”, the agency said that scaling up interventions to prevent and manage NCDs could provide massive health and economic gains.
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The report estimates that an additional investment of just $3, (about N4,480.74) per person annually, could yield economic benefits of up to $1 trillion by 2030.
Progress slowing
WHO noted that while 82 per cent of countries reduced premature deaths from NCDs between 2010 and 2019, progress has slowed sharply.
About 60 per cent of countries recorded a decline in the pace of improvement compared with the previous decade, with some even reporting increases in mortality.
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Denmark achieved the most significant gains for both sexes, while countries such as China, Egypt, Nigeria, Russia and Brazil also recorded reductions.
Much of the progress was driven by declines in cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers, including cervical, breast, lung and prostate cancers.
However, mortality from pancreatic and liver cancers, as well as neurological conditions, is rising in many regions.
In some regions, the agency warned, there has even been a resurgence in NCD-related deaths, threatening global targets to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by one-third by 2030, a key Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target.
Cost-effective solutions, corporate resistance
WHO stressed that effective solutions to curb NCDs and promote mental health are affordable and proven, yet governments often struggle against pressure from powerful industries whose products fuel disease.
Tobacco, alcohol and ultra-processed food companies have been accused of blocking or delaying policies such as health taxes and restrictions on marketing to children.
Etienne Krug, Director of WHO’s Department of Health Determinants, Promotion and Prevention, said governments must resist industry interference and put public health first.
Mr Krug noted that corporate interests continue to profit from rising deaths and disease, describing the trend as unacceptable.
“It is unacceptable that commercial interests are profiting from increasing deaths and disease,” he noted.
According to WHO, scaling up its recommended “Best Buys” measures such as tobacco and alcohol taxation, hypertension management, cervical cancer screening and curbs on harmful marketing, would require only modest investment but deliver huge health and economic gains.
Political will to change the future
The warning comes ahead of the Fourth UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting (HLM4) on NCDs and mental health, set for 25 September in New York.
Heads of State and Government are expected to adopt a new Political Declaration to accelerate global action.
The Director of WHO’s Department for NCDs and Mental Health, Devora Kestel, noted that governments already know what works but have been slow to act.
Ms Kestel said countries that delay will pay the price in both lives and economic growth.
“We know what works. The time to act is now. Governments that act decisively will protect and save lives, cut costs, and unlock growth. Those that delay will pay in lost lives and weaker economies,” she said.
WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus added that the crisis is robbing countries of lives and innovation.
Mr Ghebreyesus said while some nations such as Denmark, South Korea and Moldova are showing the way, others are stalling.
“Investing in the fight against NCDs isn’t just smart economic, it’s an urgent necessity for thriving societies,” he said.
The agency urged governments to strengthen primary health care, expand access to essential medicines, raise health taxes, and ensure policymaking is free from corporate interference.
NCDs, mental illness
NCDs are long-term conditions that are not passed from person to person but are often driven by lifestyle and environmental factors.
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They include cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes.
Mental health conditions, on the other hand, are complex and not always traceable to a single cause. Factors such as stress, trauma, social pressures, poverty, conflict and, in some cases, biological predisposition, contribute to their onset. Disorders such as depression and anxiety are widespread, affecting people of all ages and income levels.
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