WHO's new report highlights the urgent need to address NCDs and mental health

By Admin

20 Sep, 2025

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a powerful new report titled “Saving lives, spending less”, urging governments worldwide to prioritize the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health conditions. The report reveals that an additional investment of just US$3 per person annually could generate economic benefits of up to US$1 trillion by 2030 while saving millions of lives.

A Growing Global Health Challenge

NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes, account for the majority of deaths globally. Mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression are also highly prevalent across all communities. Alarmingly, nearly 75% of deaths from NCDs and mental health conditions occur in low- and middle-income countries, leading to 32 million lives lost each year.

WHO’s analysis of country-level progress between 2010 and 2019 showed that while 82% of countries reduced NCD mortality, progress has slowed significantly, and some nations are witnessing a resurgence. Denmark made the largest gains, while countries like China, Egypt, Nigeria, Russia, and Brazil also recorded declines in mortality. However, 60% of countries experienced a slowdown compared to the previous decade.

Why Progress Matters

The data highlights that major gains came from reducing cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers, such as stomach, colorectal, cervical, and breast cancers. On the other hand, conditions like pancreatic and liver cancers and neurological disorders continue to drive rising mortality. Without urgent action, millions more lives could be lost prematurely.

Affordable and Cost-Effective Solutions

WHO stresses that solutions are both affordable and highly effective. Scaling up implementation of WHO’s “Best Buys” a set of high-impact interventions including tobacco and alcohol taxation, marketing restrictions to protect children, hypertension management, and cervical cancer screening would cost just US$3 per person annually. By 2030, this could:

• Save 12 million lives
  
  

• Prevent 28 million heart attacks and strokes
  
  

• Add 150 million healthy life years
  
  

• Generate over US$1 trillion in economic benefits
  
  

Despite this, governments face lobbying pressures from industries that profit from harmful products such as tobacco, alcohol, and ultra-processed foods. “It is unacceptable that commercial interests are profiting from increasing deaths and disease,” said Dr Etienne Krug, Director of WHO’s Department of Health Determinants, Promotion and Prevention.

A Political Turning Point

On 25 September 2025, world leaders will gather in New York for the Fourth United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting (HLM4) on NCDs and mental health. This meeting is seen as the most significant political opportunity of the decade to accelerate action. With an ambitious Political Declaration, governments can recommit to 2030 targets and set the direction for decades to come.

“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,” said Dr Devora Kestel, Director of WHO’s Department for NCDs and Mental Health.

WHO’s Call to Action

To achieve transformative change, WHO is calling on governments to:

• Fund and implement WHO’s Best Buys tailored to national needs
  
  

• Tax tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks
  
  

• Strengthen primary health care for prevention, early detection, and treatment
  
  

• Protect children from harmful marketing
  
  

• Expand access to essential medicines and technologies
  
  

• Secure financing through domestic budgets, health taxes, and targeted aid
  
  

• Set bold targets with strong accountability measures
  
  

• Stop industry interference in health policy
  
  

The Road Ahead

The upcoming HLM4 is more than just a meeting it is an opportunity to reshape the future of global health. By prioritizing NCD prevention and mental health promotion, governments can save millions of lives, strengthen economies, and build healthier societies.

The message is clear: investing in health is not just a moral imperative but also an economic necessity. The time to act is now.