Chronic diseases: 1.8 million preventable deaths in Europe each year, according to the WHO

In Europe, 1.8 million deaths caused by chronic diseases could be avoided each year, the World Health Organization (WHO) lamented on Friday, deaths that cost more than 500 billion dollars.

"If NCDs (noncommunicable diseases) were a virus, the world would be in lockdown," said WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge, lamenting that these diseases are "not only preventable or treatable, they are also largely ignored."

Each year, 60% of these deaths are linked to behavioral, metabolic or environmental factors such as tobacco, alcohol, poor diet or physical inactivity, factors on the rise in Eastern Europe but on which public health policies can act.

The remaining 40% could be prevented or delayed through early diagnosis and treatment, the WHO said.

Deaths that cost a lot

These deaths are very costly. The loss is estimated at more than $514.5 billion (€439.4 billion) each year.

Only ten countries in the region, which includes 53 countries and extends into Central Asia, have already achieved the target of reducing premature mortality from the four main non-communicable diseases (cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and respiratory diseases) by 25% between 2010 and 2025.

These are Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland.

According to the report, 26 other countries can still achieve this goal by 2025 if they strengthen their prevention efforts and the quality of care.