WHO Emphasizes On Need For Action Against Non-Communicable Diseases

WHO stresses governments worldwide to take action against non-communicable diseases with "bolder political actions" to save the millions of people who succumb to them at an early age. As per the latest Non-communicable Diseases Progress Monitor 2017 WHO report, cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases, cancers and diabetes are the most common disease which kill up to 15 million people aged anywhere between 30 to 70 every year. The report finds progress uneven across the globe and insufficient in terms of addressing these diseases.

They include four main factors causing risk of NDCs which include tobacco consumption, an unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and a continued use of alcohol.

"Bolder political action is needed to address constraints in controlling NCDs, including the mobilization of domestic and external resources and safeguarding communities from interference by powerful economic operators," says the WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday.

The points of this report by WHO for curbing NDCs included 29 points of which these are the key points:

1. Developing government policies to deal with NDCs

2. Setting of time-bound targets to deal with NDCs

3. Strengthening of health systems through primary health care and covering health universally.

The ten best performing countries include Costa Rica and Iran. The two have successfully achieved 15 of 19 indicators followed by Brazil, Bulgaria, Turkey and Britain who have achieved 13 indicators. Finland, Norway, Saudi Arabia and Thailand are next with successful achievement of 12 indicators.

"The world is not on track to meet the target set by the UN Sustainable Development Goals of a one-third reduction in premature NCD deaths by 2030," Douglas Bettcher, WHO Director for the prevention of NCDs concluded.

"The window of opportunity to save lives is closing. If we don't take action now to protect people from NCDs, we will condemn today's and tomorrow's youth to lives of ill-health and reduced economic opportunities," he added.