They die from not preventing non-communicable diseases

COPENHAGEN (EFE).— Non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases, cause 1.8 million preventable deaths each year in Europe alone, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported yesterday.

The WHO-Europe report highlights that one in five men and one in ten women die before the age of 70 from these diseases, which can be prevented with effective public health measures or treated with access to quality health care.

Sixty percent of these diseases are linked to preventable factors, such as alcohol and tobacco use, hypertension, unhealthy diets, obesity, and physical inactivity. The productivity losses associated with these deaths have an estimated cost of $514 billion annually, according to the WHO.

The agency warned that progress in reducing premature deaths from these diseases was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic and that the European region, which includes 52 countries (including several former Soviet republics and Russia), is on track to miss its 2025 and 2030 targets.

Although the differences between countries have narrowed since 2010, some differences remain notable, such as the fact that risk factors are increasing in the East and that mortality is disproportionately high among men.

The study highlights that ten countries (Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland) have already achieved the 2025 target of reducing premature mortality from the four major noncommunicable diseases by 25%. These nations have in common that they have implemented effective measures against these diseases, reduced the prevalence of risk factors, and strengthened health response systems.

Another 26 countries could still achieve this reduction target if they maintain and intensify their investments in disease prevention and care.

“Non-communicable diseases are not only preventable or treatable, they are also widely ignored. But the truth is that if they were a virus, there would be a global lockdown,” said WHO-Europe Director Hans Kluge in a statement.

Kluge emphasized that promoting prevention policies is a "political decision" and that the high burden of these diseases on societies is not "inevitable."

The report includes several recommendations, such as reducing exposure to risk factors and strengthening response systems, promoting multisectoral measures, investing in high-quality control, and integrating prevention and treatment into national emergency response frameworks.